Manan Kumar
First Published : 09 Mar 2009 04:32:00 AM IST
NEW DELHI: Relenting over the past neglect which cost a bloody mutiny, the Bangladesh Government on Friday increased border area allowance for Bangladesh Rifles personnel by 100 percent from 260 taka to 500 taka per month, besides enhancing their ration allowance at Army levels to 100 percent instead of earlier 60 percent.
The change was effected against the backdrop of discontent that was simmering even after the bloody mutiny was quashed by the Army, the sources said. The change in the fortunes of BDR is being seen as a ray of hope among the paramilitary forces at home who till now were fighting a losing battle to get allowances at par with the Indian Army.
Sources said that a wary BSF has already sought hard area allowance from the Centre after the BDR mutiny as general discontent of disparity was clearly visible among the ranks. Ready to consider the border force’s demand, the Centre, however, got into some technical wrangles. Sources said that the review committee constituted under an Additional Secretary (Finance) to look into paramilitary forces grievances sought area coordinates from the BSF and other forces for giving hard duty allowance.
However, seeing developments in the neighbourhood, the committee has now more or less agreed to BSF’s suggestion to give hard area allowance at least in areas falling between zero line at the border to the battalion headquarters. Pegged at 10 to 15 percent of the basic pay, the hardship would likely be given to all ranks up to Commandant. It is expected to make a difference of Rs 600 to Rs 3,000 in the monthly pay package of paramilitary personnel deployed on border duties.
The development has brightened the hope to get special paramilitary allowance among the paramilitary forces which currently is being vetted by the review committee .
Colonels after 15 years service
ReplyDeleteIn a major decision impacting the age profile of Army, Navy and Air Force Commanding Officers, Government today fixed 15 years of Commissioned Service for substantive promotion to the rank of Colonel instead of the existing 20 years.
"The Government today fixed 15 years of Commissioned Service as the minimum qualifying service for substantive promotion to the rank of Colonel in the Army, Captain in the Navy and Group Captain in the Air Force. The decision of the Government has been received at the Service headquarters," sources said here.
Until now, Lieutenant Colonels in the Army, Commanders in the Navy and Wing Commanders in the Air Force had to put in a cumulative qualifying service of 20 years after commissioning for promotion to substantive Colonel and equivalent ranks.
However, they became unit commanding officers even with just 16 years of service, as per the cadre management policies of the tri-services, but had to wait for another four years to be confirmed as substantive Colonels and to receive the salary of a Colonel.
In effect, it would mean that there would be no more "acting" ranks of Colonel, Captain and Group Captain in the services.
But sources clarified that the ranks of acting Colonels, Captains and Group Captains would be picked up by officers only in exceptional and operational situations, such as war or counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and North East.
The Government decision would have no fresh financial implication as the posts of Colonel were approved posts, sources said.
Usually, armed forces officers picked up the Colonel rank when they crossed 40 years of age. But with the new Government decision, officers would become Commanding Officers when they are of 35 years.
The Kargil Review Committee, set up in 1999, had recommended that the age profile of Commanding Officers of units be brought down to let younger lot of officers to assume command of fighting troops.
Also, the implementation of the Ajai Vikram Singh Committee (AVSC), which reviewed the career prospects and cadre restructuring in the armed forces, last year had resulted in a need to reduce the qualifying service for grant of substantive rank of Colonel. The AVSC proposals had aimed at lowering the age profile of Battalion Commanders.
The Sixth Pay Commission, implemented last September, too had proposed 15 years service for Colonel rank in line with the AVSC proposal.