7th Pay Commission | Hydrographic Survey Allowance | Report of Committee

7th Pay Commission | Hydrographic Survey Allowance | Report of Committee

Existing Provisions: This allowance is paid to Naval Officers for tougher working conditions, as under

Category	Rates per month in ₹
Surveyors Class-IV	1200
Surveyors Class-III	1500
Surveyors Class-II	1800
Surveyors Class-I	2100
Non-Surveyor Officers on ships	600
Surveyor Recorder-III	300
Surveyor Recorder- II	450
Surveyor Recorder–I (PO and Below)	600
Surveyor Recorder–I (CPO and above)	750
Non-Surveyor Sailors serving on ships	150

Recommendations of 7th CPC: The 7th CPC has recommended that this allowance be paid as per Cell R3H3 of the newly proposed Risk and Hardship Matrix @ ₹1200 pm for level 9 and above and ₹1000/- pm for level upto 8 (For non – surveyors).

Demands:

Ministry of Defence: This allowance may be paid to Surveyors as per Cell R3H1 and for Non – Surveyors, it may be paid as per cell R3H2 of the Risk & Hardship Matrix.

Analysis and Recommendations of the Committee:
The Committee notes that the rates of Hydrographic Survey Allowance for Surveyors (Class I – IV) being paid currently range from ₹1200 pm to ₹2100 pm. Thus, the recommended rates are not commensurate with the existing provisions and tougher working conditions.

Moreover, the jobs done by the Surveyors are commercially viable and they generate revenue for the Government.

It is, therefore, recommended that Hydrographic Survey Allowance be paid as per R3H2 (₹ 3400 pm for Level 9 & above and ₹ 2700 for level 8 & below) for Surveyors (Class I – IV) and rates as recommended by 7th CPC for other categories (presently being paid this allowance in the range of ₹ 150- ₹ 600 pm) may continue to be as per R3H3 of R&H Matrix.

The additional financial implications on account of the changes proposed by the Committee is estimated to be ₹ 1.52 crore per annum and will benefit approximately 658 personnel.