New Delhi, Oct 03: To smoothen ruffled feathers of
the armed forces over "discriminatory" pay commission report,
the government today approved 1,896 new posts in the three
defence forces at the top level from Colonels to Lt Generals
and their equivalents.
"The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,
has taken a decision to implement the Phase-II of Ajai Vikram
Singh Committee (AVSC) report," Information and Broadcasting
Minister Priya Ranjan Dashmunsi told reporters here soon after
the meeting.
The implementation of Phase II of the Ajai Vikram Singh
Committee (AVSC) that recommended creation of the additional
posts will ensure quicker promotions to Army, Navy and Air
Force officers.
The decision is also aimed at stemming the high rate of
attrition among middle-rung officers from Majors to Colonels
and their equivalents in the three services, which already
face a shortage of about 13,000 officers, mostly in the
middle-rung.
The implementation of the Phase-II of the AVSC report
will cost the government exchequer Rs 8.44 crore annually,
government sources said.
Under the proposal, the Army will get about 1,051 new
posts upgraded in select ranks and it will be implemented over
a five-year period.
The upgraded or created posts included 20 Lt Generals, 75
Major Generals, 222 Brigadiers and 734 Colonels.
The Army already has 61 Lt Generals, 199 Major Generals,
824 Brigadiers and 3389 Colonels serving it at present.
The Navy, on the other hand, would get 342 posts of
Commanders upgraded to select grade ranks from within the
authorised strength of the Indian Navy. But this would be done
over 10 years.
The Cabinet approved the creation of four new Vice
Admiral, 14 Rear Admiral and 324 Commodore and Captain ranks
under the AVSC report.
Navy already has 15 Vice Admirals, 43 Rear Admirals and
418 Commodores and Captains serving it at present.
The Air Force too would get 503 new posts by
restructuring of the officer cadre of select ranks over a
five-year period.
That would comprise of six Air Marshals, 21 Air Vice
Marshals, 61 Air Commodore and 415 Group Captains.
Already, the IAF has an existing strength of 22 Air
Marshals, 47 Air Vice Marshals, 131 Air Commodores and 476
Group Captains serving at present.
With the armed forces not attracting enough talent in
recent times and with Pre-Mature Retirements plaguing them,
the government had set-up the committee under former Defence
Secretary Ajai Vikram Singh to suggest ways of making the
services attractive as a career for the youth.
Based on the committee`s recommendations for
restructuring of the officer cadre, the government implemented
the Phase I of the report concerning lower rungs from Captains
to Lt Colonels in the Army and their equivalents in the Navy
and Air Force in 2004.
Bureau Report
