Antony for streamlining promotion policy in armed forces

New Delhi, Apr 28 (UNI) Defence Minister A K Antony today called for streamlining the promotion process in the armed forces and asked the officers to be ''extremely careful and prudent'' on the issue of inter se gradings.

''You have to be extremely careful and prudent on the issue of inter se gradings, which results in delays in promotion.

This process needs to be streamlined,'' he told the Army Commanders' Conference here.

Mr Antony said the model for quantification of various parameters for promotion of officers needed to be expedited.

''Urgent remedial measures are also needed to reduce the increase in the number of statutory complaints. The Service headquarters should expedite timely redressal of all complaints within a reasonable time-frame.'' He said the proposals for postings need to be scrutinised carefully and ought to be based on merit and actual requirement.

The Defence Minister also told the Army top brass that the authority vested with the Commanders and senior officers must be exercised without any element of arbitrariness or bias.

Mr Antony called upon the Commanders to collectively ensure that the issues of the armed forces were addressed urgently and without any favour or rancour.

UNI AG PK AS1853