Fair deal for armed forces in wage hike

Finance ministry officials on Wednesday maintained that armed forces have got a fair deal in wage hike. Ministry sources said that senior defence personnel would get Rs 6,960 more than the salary of comparable civil servants. A major in the Army is equivalent to an under secretary, lieutenant colonel to deputy secretary, colonel to director, brigadier to deputy inspector general, major general to joint secretary, lieutenant general to additional secretary and general to secretary. The government officials said that there is no merit in the view that defence personnel got a raw deal in the wage hike.

Officials also said that the wage hike recommendations took care of the women staff well. They are now allowed to take two years of fully paid child care leave any time till their child becomes 18. The provision is limited to a maximum of two children. The government also decided in principle to allow employment on contract. Civil servants wishing to go to private sector can quit and join the private sector and later on come back to government on contract basis if they wish so.