Seventh Pay Commission Report : Allowances related to Good Service (Badge Pay, Medal Allowance, Monetary Allowance attached to Gallantry Awards & Reward for Meritorious Service)

Seventh Pay Commission Report : Allowances related to Good Service (Badge Pay, Medal Allowance, Monetary Allowance attached to Gallantry Awards & Reward for Meritorious Service)

Chapter 8.8 Allowances related to Good Service 

Allowances Covered

8.8.1 Alphabetical list of Allowances covered here is as under:

1. Good Service/Good Conduct/Badge Pay
2. Medal Allowance
3. Monetary Allowance attached to Gallantry Awards
4. Reward for Meritorious Service

Present Position
8.8.2 This section deals with the allowances granted to personnel of uniformed forces as an acknowledgement of their meritorious service. There are four such allowances as listed above. These are discussed below seriatim.

Good Service/Good Conduct/Badge Pay
8.8.3 PBORs of the three Services are granted Good Service Pay after completion of certain specified length of service during which they have maintained high degree of discipline, good conduct and professional competence. For PBORs of army, the specified length is 3, 6 and 9 years of service. For PBORs of IAF and Navy, it is 4, 8 and 12 years of service. For the PBORs of the Indian Army, the existing rate is Rs.64 pm for each of the three stages, while for the PBORs of Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force, the amount is Rs.80 pm.

8.8.4 While interacting with jawans during its various visits, the Commission noted the sense of prestige and pride attached to this allowance.

Analysis and Recommendations

8.8.5 Since the rate is not indexed to DA, it is recommended that it may be increased by afactor of 2.25. The nomenclature should also be changed to Good Service/Good Conduct/ Badge Allowance.

Monetary Allowance attached to Gallantry Awards and Medal Allowance
8.8.6 Recipients of certain Gallantry awards, usually personnel of Defence forces, CAPFs and the Indian Coast Guard, are granted a monthly allowance associated with the award.

8.8.7 The Medal Allowance for personnel of CAPFs and the Indian Coast Guard.

8.8.8 There are demands for a four-fold increase in the rates of these allowances.

Analysis and Recommendations

8.8.9 The VI CPC had suggested that the Central Government should revise the rates of these Gallantry Awards on their own without waiting for a Pay Commission. Accordingly, the last revision of rates for Defence forces was done on 30.03.2011. No change in rates is therefore proposed.

8.8.10 It is, however, pointed out that monetary allowance associated with President’s Tatrakshak Medal (granted to Coast Guard personnel) is Rs.1,500 pm, while that for President’s Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG) is Rs.3,000 pm. Similarly, the allowance associated with Tatrakshak Medal is Rs.900 pm, while that for Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG) is Rs.2,000 pm. This discrepancy may be set right and amounts for President’sTatrakshak Medal and Tatrakshak Medal increased to Rs.3,000 pm and Rs.2,000 pm respectively.

Reward for Meritorious Service
8.8.11 This reward is granted to PBORs who have put in 15 years of meritorious service.

8.8.12 Defence forces have asked for a four-fold raise in the amount.

Analysis and Recommendations

8.8.13 Since the amount of the reward is not DA indexed, it is recommended to be raised by a factor of 2.25