Centre Agrees to Grant Non-Functional Upgrade Benefit to Armed Forces
Image Source: The Hindu
In a significant move aimed at addressing a longstanding disparity between the armed forces and their civil counterparts in the government, the Centre has decided to grant Non-Functional Upgrade (NFU) benefits to officers of the armed forces. This decision comes after a prolonged legal battle over the issue.
According to an official source, the Defence Ministry has agreed to extend NFU to officers of the armed forces. The government plans to inform the court of this decision during the next hearing, as the matter was listed for February 28 but did not proceed.
NFU ensures that officers who are not promoted within their batch can draw the salary and grade pay equivalent to the seniormost officer of their batch after a certain period. This benefit has been a subject of contention, particularly since the Sixth Pay Commission, which granted NFU to most officers of Organised Group ‘A’ services, excluding the military.
The Seventh Pay Commission (SPC) provided a mixed verdict on the issue, leading to its referral to an anomalies committee following objections from the armed forces. However, in December 2016, the Principal Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal in New Delhi granted NFU to armed forces personnel in pay and allowances, responding to a petition filed by over 160 officers.
This decision by the Centre represents a significant step towards addressing the core anomaly between the armed forces and their civil counterparts within the government. Despite the government’s challenges in the Supreme Court and a prolonged legal process with repeated adjournments, the move to grant NFU underscores a commitment to rectify longstanding grievances within the armed forces.
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- News Writer
- Rays Roy, hailing originally from Wayanad, Kerala, now resides in Hyderabad. Having completed intermediate studies at Little Flower Junior College, Rays is currently a first-year student pursuing a BA in Digital Communication at The English and Foreign Languages University in Tarnaka.
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