Dated: 29/01/2018
Hon’ble Prime Minister of India,
Raisina Hill
South Block
New Delhi
Raisina Hill
South Block
New Delhi
Respected Sir,
Sub: Initial pay fixation of re-employed ex-servicemen who held posts below Commissioned Officer Rank in Defence Forces, retired before attaining the age of 55 years and have been appointed on re-employed basis in civilian posts in Railways etc – reg.
NFIR invites kind attention of the Hon’ble Prime Minister to the grave injustice meted out to the former Defence Forces Personnel (PBORs), re-employed in railways as their last pay drawn i.e. the pay drawn at the time of retirement from Defence Forces (prior to reaching the age of 55 years) has not been protected on their re-employment in the Central Government Departments like Railways etc. Federation also brings to your kind notice that such of those retired Defence Forces Personnel, when re-employed in the public sector undertakings (Central/State PSUs) they have been granted the benefit of pay fixation on the last pay drawn at the time of retirement from Armed Forces. Sadly, in the railways and in some other Central Governments Departments, similiar pay fixation benefit has not been extended, resulting dis-appointment and frustration among the re-employed armed forces personnel (retired).
In this connection, it is worth-mentioning that the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR), a premier federation of the Railway employees, had taken up the subject at the level of Railway Ministry in the Permanent Negotiating (PNM) fora demanding pay re-fixation in favour of re-employed defence forces personnel on the basis of last pay drawn more particularly those who have been re-employed on and after 01/01/2006. On a reference made by Railway Ministry vide O.M. No. E(G)2013/EM 1-5 dated 07/12/2016, the DoP&T had however not agreed for reckoning last pay drawn for pay re-fixation on re-employment in railways. The Federation encloses a copy of Railway Ministry OM dated 07/12/2016 to the DoP&T and reply thereon received from DoP&T vide OM dated 21/02/2017.
Federation also brings to your kind notice that the DoP&T vide OM dated 18th Oct 2017 has since called for suggestions for finding single methodology for pay re-fixation of all the ex-servicemen including PBORs, commissioned officers, ex-competent clerks/storemen, NFIR vide letter of even no.dated 21/12/2017 has submitted valid suggestions to the Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Dept of Ex-Servicemen, Welfare, South Block, New Delhi for consideration. A copy of said letter is also enclosed for ready reference. In the said letter, the Federation gave following suggestions to the Ministry of Defence/DoP&T:
(a) Considering the role of Defence Forces Personnel in safeguarding the Nation’s integration, these personnel deserve to be given pay fixation on the basis of their lasy pay drawn on re-employment in the Railways and other Central Government Departments.
(b) Their pension needs to be totally ignored as the pension is the social security net in recognition to their loyal services to the nation.
(c) The PROBs are not Personnel of high rankings with higher wages, therefore their case needs to be considered with greater sympathy and for this said reason, their last pay drawn at the time of retirement from armed forces, needs to be treated as entry pay on re-employment in Railways and Central Government Departments.
(d) Alternatively, the number of year’s service rendered by the PBORs in Armed Forces be taken into account for granting pay fixation duly adding equal number of increments to the minimum pay of the re-employed post. This can be made applicable to all PBORs who have joined Central Government Departments after 01/01/2006.
(e) In those cases of PBORs retired before attaining the age of 55 years and got re-employment in Government Services, their initial pay on re-employment may be fixed at the minimum of the scale of pay prescribed for the post and after fixing the pay, in case the initial pay so fixed, is found to be less than the last pay drawn in the Armed Forces, all such cases may be treated as “cases of undue hardship” and in those cases, their pay may be re-fixed at higher stage duly granting one increment for each year of service rendered in the Armed Forces in order to bring their initial pay at par with the Pre-retirement pay. However, the pension already drawn by these Personnel need to be continued un-altered.
NFIR therefore requests the kind intervention of Hon’ble Prime Minister to see that the legitimate demand of the former Defence Forces Personnel is conceded and others issued soon.
Federation hopes to receive the communication from the Government on the outcome of the decision taken in the matter.
With kind regards,
DA/AS above
Yours sincerely
S/d,
(Dr. M. Raghavaiah)
General Secretary
(Dr. M. Raghavaiah)
General Secretary
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