In a significant gesture to the men in battle fatigue, the Sixth Pay Commission on Monday elevated the three defence services chiefs to be among the highest paid public servicemen drawing a salary of Rs 90,000 per month equivalent to the cabinet secretary.
Though the Army, Navy and Air Force Chiefs got a hefty hike of about Rs 60,000 per month in emoluments, they would continue to be at par with Defence Secretary in protocol. So far the three chiefs were drawing a fixed monthly pay packet of Rs 30,000 per month.
Seeking to bring cheer to the armed forces personnel, who guard the country's frontiers from the snowy Himalayan heights, monsoon jungles to Thar desert, the Commission recommended that like their civilian counterparts, the soldiers and officers would get at least a 40 per cent hike in pay packets across the board.
But for the armed forces facing acute shortage of officers and new alarming shortfalls in attracting talent to military schools, the commission instituted a special Military Service Pay upto the rank of Brigadiers.
For all officers from a second Lieutenant to Brigadiers the special pay would be Rs 6,000 and for personnel below officer rank it would be Rs 1,000 per month. Military Nursing Service officers would get Rs 4,200 per month.
The Commission also elevated the rank of the Director General Armed Forces Medical services to the Secretary, Government of India and would draw a fixed salary of Rs 80,000 per month.
