Exhaustive instructions have been issued from time to time that under "no circumstances" sahayaks should be employed on menial tasks, which are not in conformity with the dignity and self-respect of a solider, the government said today.
In a written response to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State in the Defence Ministry Subhash Bhamre said all grievances brought to the notice by sahayaks are redressed appropriately.
"Exhaustive instructions have been issued from time to time stressing upon the need to ensure that under no circumstances, sahayaks, being combatant soldiers, are employed on menial tasks, which are not in conformity with the dignity and self respect of a solider," Bhamre said.
Besides, a suggestion/grievance box has been placed at all headquarters down to the level of division headquarter where all ranks can forward their complaints directly to the chief of Army staff.
A new grievance redressal mechanism has also been started wherein soldiers can air their grievances directly to the chief of Army staff through Whatsapp message after having exhausted all laid down procedures, he said.
In the past, there have been cases of sahayaks complaining that they were being made to do menial jobs.
In response to another question on whether the army has taken any cognisance of the dissatisfaction among sahayaks, Bhamre said the army had received one case of complaint which was investigated and found to be "without merit".
Replying to another question, Bhamre said the status of defence service personnel is equal to their civilian counterparts.
The minister said Army recruited 245 women officers, the Navy 135 and the Air Force 486 women officers from 2014 to 2016, excluding those from the medical, dental branch.
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