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STATE OF PARAMILITARY FORCES

Paramilitary forces living on edge: IIM study
A study by the IIM, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) on the working conditions of the central paramilitary forces has highlighted their stressful and dismal living conditions round the year as they don’t have a concept of peace posting like the armed forces.

IIM-A submitted this study on “performance related incentives in government” to the Sixth Central Pay Commission.According to the study, the forces are required to put in long working hours (invariably 12-14 hours a day) and perform additional duties of guarding the camp without sufficient rest and respite in difficult terrains, hostile environments and face regular threat to life.

The report said: “They always remain on call and have round-the-clock commitments throughout the year, without any consideration for leave, gazetted holidays, weekends, festivals, personal commitments and social obligations. This leads to very high levels of stress and imbalances.

Repeated physical ailments in far-flung areas of deployment and absence of medical facilities for diseases like cerebral malaria, Hepatitis B, liver cirrhosis, chikungunya etc render working conditions hazardous. Stress compiled with unhygienic living conditions leads to high instances of chronic diseases and (premature) death among force personnel.”

The study has further noted their social isolation after living in camps for a lifetime. Their unavailability for social and family commitments like marriages, functions, death etc of near and dear ones almost leads to their social boycott in the family and their society.
The report further added: “The problem of social isolation is compounded by the fact that their entire career is spent in hard areas and they don’t have a concept of peace posting (as in the armed forces).”

The report also mentions about their increased personal expenditure as they are forced to maintain two or more establishments due to separation from family and the need for education of their children. The report said: “He is forced to undertake journeys to home to sort out domestic exigencies, which cost him additional money.

Regular need for communication with their families adds to their costs and it’s made worse by the fact that at many places of their deployment, they only have satellite phones which cost a fortune.”The IIM-A team further mentioned: “Separation from family is a serious problem.
We met somebody who has not lived with his family for the past 37 years and said that ‘my children don’t recognise me’.”

The report makes another important observation on the food provisions for the forces. It said: “Food is the most basic human need and the related provisions are widely perceived to be unfair and highly discriminatory which adversely affects their morale. Ration money paid out to force personnel is perceived to be inadequate, especially for their places of deployment where ration is always more expensive. Levy of income tax on this effectively reduces the amount of calories that money can buy.

BLOG'S VIEW

There is a urgent requirement for the government to sanction various allowances like Paramilitary Service Pay (PMSP)in line with Military Service Pay (MSP), technical pay, higher ration money, school transport, communication facility and host of other allowances to make life comfortable for these men in Khaki.

In the officer cadre there is a urgent requirement to shift Second-in-Command and its equivalent in various paramilitary forces to the pay scale of PB-4, as the existing workload of these officers is much more than carried out by Lt. Colonels in the Battalion. It is pertinent to mention that promotion to this rank of Second-in-Command is by selection unlike defence forces where it is time bound promotion. Going by the general principle a selection post is always treated senior to time bound promotion posts.

MARTYRDOM OF MAJOR UNNIKRISHNAN

IS MARTYRDOM GONE WASTE ?
Unnikrishnan was a Major in the Indian Army serving in the elite National Security Guards (NSG). He sacrificed his life while fighting terrorists in the November 2008 Mumbai attacks “Do not come up, I will handle them.” These were probably the last words which Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan told his men as he was hit by bullets while engaging well armed gunmen inside the Taj Hotel, Mumbai during the Black Tornado operation
During the operation, when a commando got injured Major Unnikrishnan arranged for his evacuation and started chasing the terrorists himself. The terrorists escaped to another floor of the hotel and during the chase Major Unnikrishnan was seriously injured and succumbed to his injuries

Family
He hails from a family settled in Bangalore that had migrated from Cheruvannur, Kozhikode,Kerala. He was the only son of retired ISRO officer Mr. K. Unnikrishnan and Mrs. Dhanalakshmi.

Childhood
Major Unnikrishnan spent 14 years at the Frank Anthony Public School. A popular figure among his contemporaries, he wanted to join the Army, even attending school in a crew cut. He is remembered as an outstanding student by his teacher. In 1995 he finished ISC Science from here. He was the house captain and he participated in sports and described by his school principal as "fantastic athlete". Most of his athletic records remained unbroken for many years. He described himself as a movie maniac in his orkut profile
Besides his display of courage from young age he had a soft side to him and was a member of the school choir.

Army Career
Sandeep joined the National Defence Academy (India) in 1995. He was a Cadet, part of the Oscar Squadron (No 4 Battalion) and a pass out of the 94th Course of NDA. He graduated as a Bachelor of Arts (Social science stream).
His NDA buddies remember him as "selfless "generous" and "calm and composed"

Our Politicians
The anger against the political class in wake of the Mumbai terror attack boiled over with slain NSG commando Major Sandeep
DG, NSG, Jyoti Krishan Dutt, along with colleagues pay their respects to NSG men Sandeep Unnikrishnan and Gajendra Singh who laid their lives fighting terrorists in Mumbai.
Opposition parties in Kerala have accused the state government of having shown disrespect to the Kerala-born soldier, who lost his life while combating terrorists in Mumbai, by not sending any minister to his funeral, attended by a large number of people, including Karnataka CM B S Yeddyurappa.
As Sandeep's father remained firm that no politician should enter his house and refused to meet the leaders from his own state, police persuaded Dhanalakshmi, the slain commando's mother, to talk to the guests.
He had told his friends that his son, whose valour was witnessed by the entire country, did not belong to Kerala alone but to the entire nation.
Unnikrishnan's father literally shooed away Kerala chief minister V S Achuthanandan on Sunday
Kerala chief minister V S Achuthanandan's reaction
It is understood that Kerala Chief Minister Mr. VS Achuthanandan stated that he had gone to meet Mr. Unnikrishnan only because he was the father of Marytr Major Unnikrishnan otherwise even the dog would not have entered his house.
This blog consider that this type of treatment to the family of the Martyr is totally uncalled for, the political class needs to be more aware of sacrifice of our military men. The reaction of the people of our country forced the Chief Minister to apologise on the issue otherwise the individual was very reluctant to even express apology.

SALUTE TO BRAVE HEARTS

PAYING OF RESPECT TO ONE AND ALL

This blog pays respect to all soldiers, police personnel, fire men, staff of Hotel Taj & Oberoi Trident who laid their lives in saving the honour of this country during attack by terrorists at Mumbai. Every Indian’s heart goes out to the families who lost their close ones in the terror attacks in Mumbai. It is an hour of gloom as near two hundred innocent Indians have died and the nation is battling the most ugly form of terrorism.
This catastrophe of extraordinary dimensions has left everybody shocked. But for most of us who watched the war-like-situation on TV sets in our homes, the harsh reality is that so many of the brave police officers and army men (NSG) lost their lives.
We salute all these men including top officers like Hemant Karkare, Vijay Salaskar Major.Sandeep Unnikrishnan, Ashok Kamte and Sadanand Date & the junior personnel like Inspector Shinde, and Havildar Gajender Singh who sacrificed their lives to rescue the innocents trapped in the Mumbai hotels.

Shri.Hemant Karkare

ATS Chief and Police Officer
No one is indispensable, but some rare people come quite close to it. Hemant Karkare, the chief of Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), who laid down his life fighting one of the worst terror attacks on the Indian soil, definitely falls in that category.
Born in Nagpur, Karkare studied mechanical engineering in Nagpur and worked at the National Productivity Council and Hindustan Lever before making it to the prestigious IPS in 1982.
While posted in Nagpur he fought the Naxalite forces and earned a reputation of being an officer who is courageous as well as having a sound head on his shoulder. In several missions undertook by him, he used not only his brawn, but his superlative brain to achieve success.
Shri.Vijay Salaskar

Police Officer and Enounter Specialist
Vijay Salaskar was an IPS officer with the Mumbai police. He was considered as an encounter specialist. He is believed to have killed around 75 criminals in encounters. He was killed while fighting terrorists in the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. Before his death he was heading the Anti-Extortion Cell, Mumbai. Salaskar was a post-graduate in Commerce from Mumbai University. He joined Mumbai police as a sub inspector. He is believed to have killed around 75 criminals in police encounters.
Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan

NSG Commando
Sandeep Unnikrishnan, a 31-year-old National Security Guard (NSG) commando, laid down his life fighting the terrorists in Mumbai on Friday. To prevent his colleagues from getting caught in the crossfire, Sandeep told them to keep away. unfortunately, he was grievously injured in the gun battle with the terrorists.
The braveheart hailed from Bangalore where his father works for the Indian Space Research Organisation.
Havildar Gajendar Singh

Specialist in heli-borne operations
The other brave heart, Havildar Gajender Singh, was a specialist in heli-borne operations.
“Gajender Singh was chosen for the Nariman House operation as he qualified for the job extremely well. He was leading the slithering act and its follow up action,” the NSG official said while paying homage to the slain commandos at the NSG headquarters in the national capital.
Other martyrs

Ashok Kamte

Indian Police Service (IPS) officer - additional police commissioner Ashok Kamte - was killed in separate gun battle with terrorists

Other Police / Fire personnel

This blog also pays homage to remaining 10 police personnel and 01 Fire guard for laying down their life to save the honour of the country.

Staff of Hotel Taj & Oberoi Trident

All the staff of these two hotels who also laid down their lives deserves equal respect and homage.

COST TO NATION

COST TO NATION - DEFENCE / PARA MILITARY FORCE / CIVILIAN OFFICER

Since last few months after the approval of Sixth Pay Commission a lot of discussion has taken place whether few officers from Defence Ranks should be shifted to the next pay grade or not. It has been projected that these officers are now getting lesser pay than the civilian / CPOs who are paid earlier less pay than these Defence Officers. I would like to explain what is the cost to the nation of these officers. In the comparision, I am taking the Rank of Lt. Colonel of Defence Forces because this is the one rank which Defence Forces are stating is being paid less than their civilian counterparts.

Sl.No. Topic Lt.Colonel Commandant Civilian Officer Remarks

01. Basic 26,280 37,400 37,400 The starting basic pay is only Rs. 11,120 less than the other CPO/Civilian officers which are one rank higher than the Lt.Colonel rank.

02. Grade Pay 7,600 8,700 8,700

03. MSP 6,000 NIL NIL After including MSP and GP the difference is only Rs. 5,120

04. Sahayak 15,000 7,500 NIL The Sahayak in the lowest pay band will cost atleast this much considering his present salary, pension and all benefits of Defence services

05. Free Ration 7,500 NIL NIL Minimum expected cost of existing free ration providing 4300 calories per day

06. School Transport 2000x2 NIL NIL Minimum expected cost

07. Free electricity 500 NIL NIL Charge for free units only

08. Canteen facility 2500 NIL NIL Expected benefit to each officer per month including benefit toward cost of liquor

09. House 15000 Nil Nil Expected cost to Nation view entitlement of house to all Military Officers whereas, other CPO/Civilians have to wait in CPWD roster for first 15 years of service.

10. Free Furniture 2000 Nil Nil Expected cost of hiring furniture as entitled to defence officer

11. Railway Discount 3000 Nil Nil All Defence Officers are authorised to avail 06 sets of Form-D to travel Home town

12. KMA 400 300 Nil

13. Medical 2000 Nil Nil All Defence Officers get five star medical treatment at Military Hospitals, whereas, others have to struggle in Govt. hospitals along with the common public

14. Transport 5000 5000 Nil

15. Pension 2000 Nil Nil Only Defence Officers are now authorised for Pension which is stopped for other entries after 04 Jan 2004

2. It can be seen that Lt. Colonel costs about Rs. 98,780/- per month to the nation, whereas, officers senior to him will cost only Rs. 58,900 (CPOs) & Rs. 46,100 (Civilian Director) respectively. The cost of Military officer to the nation is very high, whereas, the productivity is only restricted to country defence. In a developing country like our we require to have more expenditure towards developing departments which brings earning to the nation and upliftment of the 20% poor bretheren below poverty line. Even in the present pay scale the Lt.Colonel costs even more than Cabinet Secretary. Moreover, these Military officers have to be paid pension through out their life which is a very long term expenditure to the nation. In the present circumstances what we require is an efficient bureaucracy, small and well paid Defence services and very effective Police Force.

3. In the era of national development the requirement of effective policing is much more than a big military force. Country should have an agreement with Pakistan and China and all three nations can reduce their military strength by at least 50% if not more.

4. The requirment of day-to-day life should be met with normal state Police with their standby CPO/CPMF Forces to guard the uneventualities and regular patrolling of our borders.

5. The present expenditure of more than 1,00,000 crores on the defence forces if reduced by 50% can give 100% Personal Income-tax rebates to the entire country, one can imagine the benefit of reducing the military strength by 50%. This step itself will increase our country's reputation all around the world. The example of Japan which survived without any defence force since last 60 years are good enough to effect these changes.

6. The world has seen various countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Mynmar, Iraq and host of other countries which have failed due to their ruling by strong defence forces. The proven model all around the world is the military reporting to the civil administration. The bureaucracy on the other hand needs to know the requirement of a typical military life.

7. My above comments are in no way criticizing our three respectful Defence forces, which have always shown their capabilities in last 61 years of Independence. The time has come when the Defence services are required to think what is more important to the overall development of the nation and not the individual development of a service or section. The cost of having Lt.Colonel is about Rs.1,00,000 a month and that of other para military / civilian is 50% of this cost. Can a country of ours affords to pay more to these Lt. Colonels is upto the nation to decide.

WRONG INTERPRETATION OF DEFENCE OFFICER PAY SCALES BY SERVICE OFFICERS/FEW BLOGS

It has been observed that there is a wrong interpretation of edge in the pay scale of Defence Officers by few service Officers and by few blogs. It is pertinent to mention that CPMF / CPOs are always having civilian pay scales and thus indirect relativity always existed between CPMF / CPOs rank structure and of that of Defence Services Officers rank structure. The exact history of this edge is as follows :-

First Pay Commission

1. A post war pay committee was constituted after first pay commission.

2. It abolished few war related allowances and merged remaining with the pay.

3. It also established broad relativity of Defence Service Officers with class central services and IPS.

4. These recommendations was implemented w.e.f 01 Jul 1947.

Second Pay Commission

1. Raghuramaiah Committee Report on Defence Forces was given in 1960 after Second Pay Commission. The revision made by this committee broadly followed second pay commission and accepted parallal between defence officers and class I services and IPS

Third Pay Commission

1. The Third Pay Commission was the first to give recommendation on Defence Services pay scales. The committee stated that relativity exists between Police and Defence and not between and IAS and Defence Services on pay scales.

2. The pay commission discontinued the Special Disturbance Allowance granted in 1950 as a special identity and merged this allowance with the pay scale of Defence Services. That's how the slight edge in pay scale of Defence Serivce officers over other serivce started.

Fourth Pay Commission

As requested by Defence Services the pay commission recommend a running pay scale upto Brigadier / equivalent and rank pay. The commission kept Major General in SAG pay scale of 5900-6700

Fifth Pay Commission

The service headquarters recommended two running pay scales
(a) Till the post of Colonel
(b) Brigadier to Lt. General
The pay commission did not agree to the running pay scale and recommended different pay scale for each rank with slight edge and rank pay.

What was this edge ?

Special Disturbance Allowance merged with the basic pay was this edge. This was not increase in the status but only monetary compensation to the hardship of Military life.

(a) This edge was Rs. 50/- to 300/- in various ranks of Service Officers in Third Pay Commission
(b) Rs. 100/- + Rank pay of various ranks by Fourth Pay Commission
(c) Rs. 250/- + Rank Pay by Fifth Pay Commission
(d) The Sixth Pay Commission maintained this edge by recommending MSP of Rs. 6000/- to Officers as an allowance and removed the edge in the Basic Pay Scale which was merged earlier by Third Pay Commission (merger of Special Disturbance Allowance in basic pay).

In last 35 years, since Third Pay Commission Defence Sservice Officers mistook this edge as increase in their status and started compairing various officers rank with one to two civil ranks. When the Sixth Pay Commission, as requested by Service Headquarters, placed again the Service Officers in their equivallent civil pay scales the service officers mistook it with lowering of status which was not the case.

I have given the complete history of this edge it is upto various service officers / CPMFs / CPOs / Civil Officers to judge this history. Moreover, most of the pay commissions are authored by prominent judges and we are too small to judge their decisions.

OVERKILL BY DEFENCE

The shout of the Defence HQs was probably too high and too annoying for the Tower of Power.Moreover the efforts of senior officers to put other services in bad light,had killed the issue,and taken as negative approach of Defence Forces and probably the young officers have to pay for that. The equation drawn by the forces was never agreed even by the MOD since last 61 years and the various letters were issued in this regards.The Defence Forces were given higher start to compensate for the hardship of life,which was mistaken as senior status by Defence and this resulted in creating a hype among them and thus placing of LTCols in PB-3 was not considered correct by them.The Defence forces will be always equated with CPOs for functional duties before giving any status or pay as they are the nearest in nature of duties and any other equation will never be acceptable to any body in the govt, the early the forces understand this the early it is better.

CPOs STRENGTH TO GO UP

What Defence services got after AVS I&II after a great deal of struggle is comming on platter to Indian CPOs/CPMFs.The Govt had taken decision to increase the strength by four lakh of CPOs and state police by six lakh.Well this will give minimum 4000 posts in officer cadre of which at least 800-850 will be in PB-4. This will solve promotional issue of CPOs to a great extent.Moreover in comming years the strength of each CPOs will be as good as 8 to 10 lakhs and mind you it is requirement of nation and not of your or mine. Well happy time of faster promotion is here to stay and various CPOs can now think of reducing time gap between various ranks.

Second-in-command/Commandant(junior grade)/LTCol

It is a good news that DGs of almost all the CPMFs/CPOs have met Home minister and taken up the case of our officers in the rank of Second-in -command/Commandant(junior grade) in the old scale of 12000-16500 for shifting into PB-4.These are the officers who are equals to LTCol rank in Army, and this needs to be preserved at all cost , any change in this equation will disturb the common deployment between CPMF and Defence forces. Our fight should not finish here and early sanction CPMF Pay should come at the rate of 5999/- for officers and 1999 for other ranks

TY DUTY/LTC ENTITLEMENT-AIR/TRAIN

IG&above Executive class/First AC
DIG/COMDT/COMDT(JG) Economy class/First AC
DY/ASST COMDT Economy class/II AC
SUBORDINATE OFFICERS II AC
Pradhan/Uttam/Navik /EF III AC/CHAIR CAR/FC

PAYSCALES-CPMF

OFFICERS
RANK PAY SCALE GRADE PAY
ASST COMDT 15600-3/4%-39200 5400
DY COMDT -DO- 6600
COMDT(JG)/2IC -DO- 7600
COMDT 37400-3%-67000 8700
DIG -DO- 8900
IG -DO- 10000
ADG /DGCG -DO- 12000

MSP/CPMF PAY

MSP at the rate of 2000 to POBR and 6000/- is approved for defence Forces , it is indeed a very good effort from govt to give due to Defence Forces. However there is one more reccommodation from CoS to approve 15 % of pay to CPMF as special pay , we would like to know when govt will sanction the same . The Home Min. SHOULD IMMEDIATLY take up the issue with MOF

EQUATION OF RANKS-It has been observed since last few days that officer of Defence Forces are trying to equate Commandant of CPMF (BSF/COAST GUARD/CRPF/ITBP/ASSAM RIFFLES) with that of Lt col of Army. The pay scale of Lt col is 13500-17100 and not 15100-18700 and that of Commandant is 14300-18300.The Defence forces will next time mix MSP and state Lt col Senior to Joint Secy. The equivalent pay scale of Lt col in Central Govt is 12000-16500 which is held by Second-in-command or commandant(Junior Grade) in scale of 12000-16500. Going by the logic of Lt cols the rank of Brigadier (16700+2400 rank pay) WITH total basic of 19100 should be equivalent of Addl Secy.There is no end to it let us equate correctly and same is done by govt by keeping Lt cols in PB-3