MES Assn to members: Do not report to junior Army officers

New Delhi, Jun 11 (UNI) Taking a confrontationist stand which is likely to have far reaching consequences, the Indian Defence Service Engineers Association -- which represents the Military Engineering Services officers -- today asked its members against reporting to equivalent or junior Army officers as the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations have put them on a par with the officer cadre of the Armed Forces.

Addressing the 30th annual general meeting of the IDSE association here today, its president N K Sharma claimed that after the submission of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations, the status of MES Chief Engineers and Principal Directors is clear ''and in no unceretain terms their status is comparable to the status of Maj Generals and Brigadiers respectively...I request all the officers to stop reporting to equivalent or junior Army officers.'' He claimed that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) would come to their rescue in their ''endeavour''.

Sharma said efforts should be made to de-link MES at command level and the additional director general should be placed as an advisor to Army commanders on all MES issues, including manpower management. Drawing parallels from the independence struggle, the association president said ''The British did not go away because they were tired and wanted to go back...they were forced to go back.

A similar situation is required to be created so that either they go back. If they have to stay, they should stay as a part of us and we get our due share of post and status,'' he said.

MES is one of the largest government construction agency in India and provides works cover to Army, Navy and Air Force. It has large number of units and subunits spread across the entire country.

Besides works of the Armed Forces, MES also undertakes civil works of DRDO, Coast Guard, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sanghathan, and other government organisations.

UNI NAB RSA GC1433