Indian soldiers to get arrears before Diwali

Amidst the hue and cry over new pay grades for armed forces, the Indian government has planned to give Indian soldiers an interim payment and will release 10% arrears before Diwali.

In a report, the defense ministry said, “pending issuance, of the pay commission notification, the President has sanctioned payment of arrears on ad hoc basis. Arrears will be 10% of the current drawn pay (including dearness allowance) for all soldiers, calculated from January 2016.”

From now onwards, soldiers will be getting nearly a month’s salary in some form of bonus. Efforts are being made that soldiers get this bonus before Diwali. Army has not yet received arrears emerging out of the pay commission arrange, neither have new pay scales been applied.

The delay is being caused because of the three service chief’s strong intervention looking for remedy of what they see as "anomalies" in the commission's compensation structure for strengths.

Services chiefs have said that till 'anomalies', including those related to disability pay and pensions, are resolved, pay commission recommendations will not be implemented.

"The pay being drawn as on January 2016 would be reckoned for calculating of arrears. The amount so paid will be adjusted against the final computation of arrears on the revised pay scales,” the order sent to the three armed forces reads.
(image: indiatimes)