Military court allows plea by Maj Gen-rank officers against getting lesser pay, pension than Brigadiers

New Delhi [India], March 14 : A military court today allowed the plea of Major General-rank officers from the defence forces against drawing lesser salaries and pension than Brigadier-rank officers in the services, a lawyer of 10 such affected officers said today.
A batch of 10 petitions was filed by several officers involving the issue of Maj Generals and equivalent rank officers of the Navy and Air Force drawing less pay and pension than Brigadiers and equivalent rank officers of the Navy and Air Force.
Maj Gen is a rank above the Brigadiers in the three forces and the anomaly of their getting lesser pay and pension than their juniors has been pending for quite some time now.
"The plea was finally heard today and allowed by the Armed Forces Tribunal (Principal Bench) through a common order today," counsel of the petitioners Col Indrasen Singh (retd) said.
The Tribunal observed that the issue of pay/pension disparity between Maj Generals and equivalent rank officers and Brigadiers and equivalent rank officers of Navy and Air Force has been pending resolution with the government since 2019 but has not been addressed, Col Singh said.
He said the government has already implemented the judgment of the Tribunal passed in the case of some officers earlier but did not extend the same benefit across the board to all similarly situated Maj Generals and equivalent rank officers of Navy and Air Force who were admittedly drawing less pay & pension than Brigadiers and equivalent rank officers of Navy and Air Force.
"Today the government sought further time to allow it to take the final decision in this matter. However, the Tribunal refused to grant any further time and allowed the petitions directing the government to step up the pay of the petitioners bringing them at par with their juniors and thereafter grant all arrears of pay and pension and other consequential benefits, Singh said.