These days when I am retired, I remember and recollect the dramatic changes which occurred in so many areas during my Naval career and what seemed so difficult and unimplementable   smoothly formed part of the system. Perhaps there was a collective will and inherent discipline and more so, the change was beneficial to the organization. Though there was initial caution and hesitation but finally was accepted and assimilated. 

 Transition from typewriters to Desk top computers , from a  single telephone line on board to satellite communication . Shifting from Starched cotton uniforms to Polyester -cotton blend ,  its procurement and management. Adjusting to new technology and terminology   when  ships were acquired from foreign nations. Initiation of lady officers in service. New training programmes,  functioning and  routines.  However, today I recount the story of our ‘Pay Ship Days’ and  transition from cash to bank.  Being the Logistics officer ‘Pay Ship’  was my ‘part of ship’(responsibility) .

Payment to ships officers and men was made normally on the last day of the month. However if the ship was sailing it could be advanced also . Each War ship was assigned an ‘Imprest’ of a certain sum depending on its size and number of personnel on board, the amount was flexible and could be enhanced on justification . Ships would  draw cash from the BLO ( Base Logistics office) on the bases of the ships ‘Cash Warrant.’ When away from the base port  and in station where no Naval authority existed the cash could be drawn from the civil treasury on production of the ship’s ‘Cash Warrant.’ Therefore the ship’s ‘Imprest’ was itself akin to a small treasury. Air craft carriers and cruisers were authorised a ‘cash assignment’ in addition where by they could also issue checks.

 Some planning was required before ‘Pay Ship’ day. Orders of the Captain- CTM ( Captain’s temporary memorandum ) were issued assigning various ‘Paying  officers’ for disbursement of cash , normally department-wise. A few days before all personnel were asked to submit their ‘pay books.’ Pay book itself was an interesting document having details of payments made, increments, promotion details, inoculations, annual medical etc. It was an auditable document and ranked after the ‘Identity card’ in terms of importance and accountability. ‘Acquittance rolls’ department wise were prepared with amount being disbursed written against the signature of the recipient. Signatures were obtained in advance. How much pay is to be given is based on the ‘pay slip’ received from the ‘Naval Pay office’ in Mumbai. One good thing about the day was that it was a ‘ Make and Mend day ’ ( half day)  and the ships company was secured after  lunch . But my writers ( staff) were the last to secure after the cash was disbursed , tallied and balance mustered by Captain and the cash account book counter signed by him.   

 It was a day loaded with emotions and each person looked forward to it as  those were the days of limited means and limited needs. We would joke that we lived not from  ‘hand to mouth’ but from ‘hand to hand’ as a paltry some was left as saving after having paid the mess, wine and canteen bills and other house hold expenses. Yet there was much anticipation and expectation in the air . Some would rush to the post office to send money home to their old parents , young wife, children in hostel. Some looked forward to buying some gift for near and dear for which they had waited, others looked to party in the evening . Families would wait at home for their bread earner to return home and fulfil their much pending promises.   

 But before that cash collection was itself an evolution. We complied by the existing regulation in that an armed sentry was to accompany the Logistics officer who himself would carry a loaded pistol with proper holster and belt . it was a privilege to use the Captain’s car that day and in order to avoid the busy road outside the ‘Lions Gate’ we would enter the BLO office from inside through the ‘Bombay Castle.’ On return the bulk cash would be kept secure in the safe inside the Logistics officer cabin and am armed sentry would be placed outside the cabin till such time the cash was disbursed the next day to paying officers.

The exercise would invariably not be completed without a few hiccups or heartaches. Since the ‘buck would stop’ at Logistics officer ( LOGO) I would bear the consequences by personal intervention or resolution. The problem would be of amount not tallying of a particular paying officer or a few personnel not being present on board or mismatch in paybook and acquittance roll or the main cash account book would  not match with the amount of payment made. Each person was expected to prove his identity by showing the identity card, receiving the pay and saluting the paying officer. The Captain would be personally paid by the Logistics officer and a separate acquittance roll with only his name was prepared for the purpose. 

After everything was over I would invariably go to wardroom( ante room)  and have a can of beer with biryani as I would be the last officer for whom the steward would be waiting. With my pay in cash neatly secured in my right hip pocket I would merrily embark on my scooter for Home via Colaba causeway and invariably stop at the toy shop ‘Souvenir’ and buy some small gifts for my children, some chocolates and coke cans I would always be carrying having bought from the ship’s canteen . On reaching home some amount would be given to wife for household expenditure and some deposited in Dockyard Syndicate bank the next day only to be taken out within weeks by cheque!

Then one day we received orders that as an initial measure the officers pay would be directly credited to bank. After some months we received a policy letter that shortly the sailors too would get pay in bank and asked the units to intimate their bank details . I was LOGO on board Ranvijay then and the year was 1997. When I met the Captain our common worry was that how would sailors  withdraw money from ATM as at that time there was only one ATM in Navy Nagar. But things settled and appeared normal after some time. 

However our ‘hand to hand’ existence continued till the 6th Pay commission when after much persuasion from the services side Dr Manmohan Singh agreed to increase pay and allowances substantially in 2010 and we became worthy holders of  Bank accounts. With that the days of innocence, love and laughter would wither and soon we would be covered by consumerism!

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