Seventh Pay Commission: Soldiers to get new salaries in September pay

New Delhi, Sep 16: Satisfied with assurances by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC) Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha has issued directions to all service headquarters asking them to issue orders for implementation of the 7th Pay Commission.

This means that the soldiers will receive their new salary in their pay in September. The development came after Raha, along with Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, met with Parrikar earlier this week.

Parrikar assured them that the "anomalies" they pointed out in the 7th Pay Commission will be taken up at the "highest level", defence sources said. In a surprising move, the three services had on September 9 issued letters to their formations, saying they have asked the government to hold "in abeyance" the implementation of the CPC in view of the "unresolved anomalies".

Sources said that during the meeting with the chiefs, Parrikar told them that the government cares for the forces and all concerns raised by them will be addressed.

They said that Parrikar even got the gazette notification announcing the 7th Pay Commission amended to make sure the military retains its edge over the Central Armed Police Forces. The Defence Ministry had recently notified the 7th Pay Commission.

Sources pointed out that a cabinet notification cannot be corrected before it is notified. "The anomalies committees are meant to correct the shortcomings," sources said.

The forces argue that the anomalies lower the status and pay parity of forces vis-a-vis their counterparts in the police and civilian administration.

PTI