ISLAMABAD, May 20: Pakistan Army would induct a new cadre of Non-Combatant Bearers (NCBs) at a cost of over Rs2 billion annually to act as servants of the officers.

The decision to induct the NCBs as servants for the officers, Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) and Khateebs, would be in the form of a "new non regular short service cadre."

Each servant, who would be hired on renewable contract basis for an initial term of five years, would be eligible for a salary package of Rs4,500 per month in addition to free medical facilities in the military hospitals.

Though the servants in NCB cadre would not be eligible for pension, they would be entitled to gratuity. However, those discharged from service on grounds of inefficiency as servants would not be eligible for gratuity.

The new cadre of servants would take over duties from almost a division strength of combat soldiers performing duties of batmen. Sources in the finance ministry said the authorized strength of soldiers performing the duties of batmen was causing the national exchequer a whopping amount of over Rs6 billion annually.

The new batmen system allows the serving soldiers of the regular cadre to seek an early discharge after completion of 15 years of service with full benefits.

The soldiers seeking pre- mature retirement would be encouraged to join the Army back as NCBs provided they have not exceeded the age limit of 55 years. According to the plan for the phased reversal of combat soldiers from their duties as batmen, December 31 has been set as deadline.

In the first phase, JCOs would give up batmen by August, bachelor officers by September and the married officers by end of December. However, soldiers could be used as batmen in the field or operational area in addition to performing their regular duties.