New Delhi, June 29 (IANS) The 7th Pay Commission recommendations approved by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday has accepted doubling the 'Military Service Pay' to defence personnel, and also introduced steps for creating "parity" between pay for the armed forces and the Combined Armed Police Forces (CAPF).
The armed forces had reservations over the recommendations of the pay commission, and the Defence Ministry had made suggestions for change.
Asked about it, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday said: "Some demands have been met."
He however did not list what were the demands that were accepted.
An official statement said "improvements" in the Defence Pay Matrix were done by enhancing the Index of Rationalisation and providing for additional stages in Level 12A (Lieutenant Colonel), 13 (Colonel) and 13A (Brigadier) to bring parity with the Combined Armed Police Forces (CAPF) counterparts.
This comes as the present system of pay bands and grade pay has been dropped and a new pay matrix as recommended by the commission has been approved.
A common regime for payment of ex-gratia lump sum compensation for civil and defence forces personnel payable to Next of Kin was increased from Rs 10-20 lakh to Rs 25-45 lakh for different categories.
The Military Service Pay, which is in addition to the pay for personnel from armed forces for all ranks up to and inclusive of Brigadiers has also been increased.
The MSP rates, which were in four bands of Rs 1,000, Rs 2,000, Rs 4,200 and Rs 6,000, have been respectively increased to Rs 3,600, Rs 5,200, Rs 10,800 and Rs 15,500 for various categories.
Terminal gratuity equivalent to 10.5 months of "reckonable emoluments" was approved for Short Service Commissioned Officers who will be allowed to exit the armed forces any time between 7 and 10 years of service.
Meanwhile, hospital leave, special disability leave and sick leave have been subsumed into a composite new Leave named 'Work Related Illness and Injury Leave' (WRIIL).
Full pay and allowances will be granted to all employees during the entire period of hospitalisation on account of WRIIL.
