Don’t compare yourselves with civil servants: Army chief to soldiers

The NFU factor entitles officers or personnel of a batch to get salaries and grade pay of their batch’s senior-most officer after a certain period. The sixth pay commission had given NFU to almost all group-A officers of the civil services but not to the military and paramilitary officers and personnel. The defence forces have been demanding one-time NFU to ensure comparable pay.

“There has been a misunderstanding that because NFU has been granted to our counterparts in civil services, the status of military services has been downgraded,’’ he said while addressing defence personnel and veterans here.

“But as a clarification to this notion, a letter from the government of India states that NFU will be purely financial upgrade and it will not bestow any right to the officer to claim promotion or designation for the higher post,’’ he said.

Gen Rawat noted that the sixth pay commission report had made observations about the status of armed forces. “It says the edge enjoyed by the defence forces over the civilian services is reflected in the separate element of military services pay,” he said.

The Army chief said that the sixth pay commission report states that military personnel are required to work in extreme circumstances of complex nature. He said, “They are trained for warlike situations. Also, the superannuation of defence personnel specially of the other ranks at the younger age is a factor that has been considered, thus the military services pay is given.’’