A Letter to the Secretary - 7th Central Pay Commission

Dear ANOs,

                   Many of us have thought about writing to the government about the poor honorarium and allowances given to ANOs. This post is about what Chief Officer Tarsem Singh of 12 Punjab Bn Hoshiarpur did in this regard. He belongs to KRK DAV SS School Garhdiwala, Punjab.

Dated, the 26th May 2014

From
         Associate NCC Officers,
         National Cadet Corps.
         India.
To
         Shri. Meena Agarwal,
         Secretary to Govt. of India,
         Seventh Central Pay Commission.
         New Delhi.
Sir,
Sub: Constiution of Seventh Central Pay Commission – Demands of
Associate NCC Officers & NCC Cadets – Tabled.

We, on behalf of the Associate NCC Officers (ANOs) and Cadets of the whole nation extend our
warm felicitations and wishes to the authorities who are to explore and present their appropriate recommendations that give added strength, unity and legitimate hike in the perks to the working class.
National Cadet Corps is a Tri-Services self styled, disciplined Organization, comprising the Army, Navy and Air Force, engaged in grooming the youth of the country into self disciplined and patriotic citizens. The National Cadet Corps in India ranks first as a voluntary organization recruiting cadets from high schools, colleges and Universities all over India.
The ANO shoulders great responsibility and is really the backbone to the NCC organization who acts an anchor person and mediates between the NCC Battalion and the cadets. As a matter of fact, ANO is the feeder node of NCC since he / she is the one who is in direct contact with the cadets all throughout the year. It is very interesting to see a handful of the ANOs throughout the nation mostly the teachers from schools and colleges are inspiring and fulfilling the aspirations of over 1.3 crores of the young promising NCC cadets. The three months compulsory training and alternative training and bridge courses to the ANOs in OTA, Kamptee, Gwalior, Tambaram and Kochin shape them to full-fledged officers who are designated accordingly as that of the Officers in the Defence forces since the said training capsules are on a par with training for Defence Personnel.
While it is heartening to serve under the Director General NCC, New Delhi and to have an equivalent status with the Defence officers, it is disgusting to expose the blemish, the striking difference in the pay and allowances. One cannot just imagine and believe that there is not a single word of this cadre of ANO in the Sixth Central Pay Commission recommendations and is completely neglected for the reasons best known to the concerned. Pathetically, to the dismay of all, still now the honororia and rank pay are paid to the ANOs according to the fifth pay recommendations. For your ready reference, the said allowances for various officers are tabled in the annexure.
As such is the case of the ANOs, the refreshment charges and allowances to the cadets are in a poor light, which are very meager and not up to the mark. Over the years, the market price of the eatables have raised in geometrical progression, ironically the amount provided to them is negligible and at standstill! Though we boast ourselves speak much of our caliber in this honorary service, the issues with regard to refreshments and other allowances will give a distorted impression in the minds of the cadets and the ANOs that will last long when others are grinning with surplus monetary packages. The statement showing the said allowances is annexed with this document for favour of notice.
Repeated representations on this issue right from the immediate Commandants of the State to the supreme Director General at the Centre landed in sheer failure with a note that the subject is under study and scrutiny with the Ministry of Defence and
Expenditure for guidelines and directions.
Despite these set backs, the two states Viz Kerala and National Capital territory of Delhi deserve commendations since they took initiatives and passed orders to enhance the honororia and the Rank pay to the ANOs by three folds and two folds respectively from the existing pay and allowances vide O/M in Annexure II. However, we fail to understand why the other states and union territories are dormant and kept the issue aside even though the Ministry of State for Youth and Sports affairs, New Delhi clearly communicated the need for immediate revision and also highlighted the significance of uniform allowances to all ANOs and NCC Cadets?
We regret to say that the remaining states and perhaps the NCC Directorates enjoy all fame that is reaped from the good services of the ANOs and the Cadets but leave them in dark as for as the monetary benefits are concerned.
It is the right time now that the steps taken by the Government to constitute the Seventh pay commission shows a ray of hope not only to various cadres but to the ANOs as well.
The cadre of ANO is in a disadvantaged position since there is no mention of this cadre in Sixth Pay commission recommendations itself and as such, we are more concerned and wonder how the commission would rate the differences and come out with a computation and suggest proportionate rise in the perks?!
We therefore request the authorities concerned to bestow their kind attention and discern into the problem as below:
(i) To start with, frame and fix the exact honororia and rank pay with the assumption of fixation as that of similar cadres of ANOs according to sixth pay recommendation.
(ii) Then go for relative rise and suggest for the seventh pay as being done for other cadres.
(iii) The fixation as above, shall be effected retrospectively right from the inception of sixth pay recommendations with due consideration on taking into account of the eluded period of over eight years.
We earnestly anticipate your favourable consideration on the grounds of merit and humanity too!!
Thanking you, Sir
Sincerely
In the service of grooming young leaders of tomorrow
ASSOCIATE NCC OFFICERS, INDIA

Annexure I
Annexure II
Annexure III