Army doctors approach AFT for career scheme

The question involved is whether the Ministry of Defence is right in seeking the nod of the Principal Personnel Officers’ Committee (PPOC),a non-statutory body,comprising the heads of the personnel branches of the armed forces,before issuance of implementation instructions of a scheme already accepted and approved by the Union Cabinet.

The 6th Central Pay Commission (CPC) had recommended DACP should be implemented in all organised and un-organised medical services under the government,which implied four time-bound movements and progressions into higher grade pays till 20 years of service. While the movement into the first three grade pays of the pay hierarchy was already time-bound in the AMC,the point that affected these doctors particularly was limited to the fourth pay progression — that is all members of medical and dental services to move to Rs 10,000 Grade Pay (known as the Senior Administrative Grade Pay).

The Cabinet had approved and notified it. But the MoD forwarded the matter to PPOC,which was of the opinion that status quo may be maintained on issuance of implementation instructions till the time other anomalies and status issues were resolved.