Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 20

Retired armed forces officers re-employed with the Department of Defence Services Welfare, Punjab, have decided to go on a strike from tomorrow to protest against the state government’s failure to promote them to the level of Additional Director despite directives issued by the Centre five years ago.The affected officers, who are of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel, are instead continuing at the level of Deputy Director which is below their corresponding level in the armed forces. Under the Sixth Pay Commission, a Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel drew a grade pay of Rs8,000 and Rs8,400, respectively, whereas the grade pay being paid to them post-retirement at the level of Deputy Director was Rs5,400.“From tomorrow, officers posted in headquarters and in the districts will be present in the office, but can’t process files, take decisions or sign documents till the matter is resolved,” an officer said.“Though the grade pay has been abolished by the Seventh Pay Commission, wide disparity in the status remains. We are being paid salaries equivalent to our last pay drawn from the armed forces. Meeting our demand will not entail any financial burden on the state government,” he added.In March 2011, the Ministry of Defence had notified that all officers who retired of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel are to be given Additional Director posts in the Department of Defence Services Welfare, Punjab, to maintain parity of their rank vis-à-vis civilian officers.According to officers, they had taken up their case with the government and urged CM Parkash Singh Badal. Recently, they received a communication the Finance Department had rejected the case without assigning any reason. The issue figured in the meetings of the Kendriya Sainik Board chaired by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.