The government has announced the setting up of a high-level expert committee to examine the recommendations of 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) on Non-Functional Upgradation (NFU). However, with no Services representative on the committee, the three Services are expected to make a representation to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on the issue, which has been a core demand of the military, a defence source said.
In an April 30 order, the Department of Personnel and Training announced the setting up of a seven-member high-level expert committee headed by Ratan P. Watal, IAS (retd.) and former Finance Secretary and principal adviser NITI Aayog to “examine various aspects of the recommendation of 7th CPC on NFU.” Separately, a case regarding granting NFU to the Services is currently pending in the Supreme Court.
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“Group A services in the government already enjoy the NFU status and it was recently granted for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) as well. So it is only the armed forces, who really need NFU due to the steep pyramidal structure, who are left out,” a defence source said.
The course of action is being debated, the source added.
NFU entitles all officers of a batch who are not promoted to draw the salary and grade pay that the seniormost officer of their batch after certain seniority.
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In the past too, the Services had taken up the matter with the MoD after the 7th CPC recommended NFU for the services. In April 2017, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had written to then Defence Minister Arun Jaitley highlighting the discrepancies in equivalence and parity between armed forces and their civilian counterparts due to the lack of NFU despite military personnel having long service. “Unfortunately, grade pay and level has been linked to status,” Gen. Rawat had observed in the letter.
Terms of reference
Among the terms of reference, the committee is tasked to examine the administrative issues pertaining to NFU, which is presently admissible to the IPS/Indian Forest Service and OGAS and come out with a “comprehensive solution” keeping in view the recommendations of pay commission, “various judicial pronouncements and administrative and financial exigencies of the government” among other factors.
The other aspect is to suggest a “clear definition of OGAS (Organised Group A Service), to make clear distinction in the processes of cadre review and the procedure for grant of OGAS.” The committee is requested to submit its report to the Cabinet Secretary within a period of 30 days from its constitution, the order stated.
Mixed verdict
The Sixth Pay Commission had granted NFU to most Group ‘A’ officers but not the military. Since then, armed forces had been demanding a one-time notional NFU to ensure parity. However, the 7th CPC gave a mixed verdict on it and the issue has since been referred to the anomalies committee following strong objection from the three Services.
In December 2016 the Principal Bench of AFT, New Delhi, granted NFU to armed forces personnel in pay and allowances in response to a petition filed by several serving officers. The final arguments were recently heard after repeated delays by the MoD and the court has reserved judgment.