SERVANT ALLOWANCE

Quite some time back the civil higher bureaucracy – grade 20 and above –managed approval of the Govt. for a  Servant Allowance to them after their retirement.  To appease the army the govt. of the day also authorized the army grade 20 – Brigadiers and above to draw this allowance after their retirement.

It may be Okay with the grade conscious  Civil bureaucracy but what is this grade discrimination amongst the army Commissioned Officers?!

A Commissioned Officer of the army is an officer without any discrimination to his status or stature whether he is a newly minted Second Lieutenant or a 4 star General.  Of course the rank seniority, degree of responsibility assigned and the difference in the salary are there which come with the length of service and promotions. But no other discrimination in any other way exists in their stature as an officer.  Both the general and the 2^nd Lieut are entitled to the same rights and privileges.

Serving army officers (all officers irrespective of their ranks) were entitled to a Batman, which  institution was done away with (and for a good reason too as unfortunately most married officers were treating him as a domestic help which was highly unbecoming of a soldier and undignified for him) and the serving officers are now provided with a Servant paid out of defence budget. To my knowledge there is no discrimination in the Servant Allowance of a Subaltern or a Field officer or a Red Tabbed One, Two, Three or Four star army officer.  Neither should there any be. PERIOD.

This Servant (Orderly) Allowance is Okay for the officers while in service but after their retirement, I would recommend the following:

1. To do away with the Servant Allowance completely for all after their retirement. A Servant was given as a substitute to Batman, essentially to look after the uniforms and weapons of the officer who is no longer needed by a Retired Officer.
2. If the Servant Allowance has to be given then it must be for ALL officers irrespective of their rank (grade).  Any discrimination on this account is demoralizing for other officers in the army.
3. Any periodically announced increase by the govt. in pensions should be applicable to the Servant Allowance also and given to the servant by the retired officer.
4. If this Servant allowance cannot be dispensed away with for the retired officers then it should also be paid to the old army pensioners as well during whose time this Servant Allowance was not introduced in the army.

Col. Syed Riaz Jafri (Retd)