news details |
|
|
| ‘Demand further increase’ | | SPO’s, Ex-Servicemen dissatisfied with recent hike in perks | | EARLY TIMES REPORTER
JAMMU | OCT 27
Special Police Officers (SPO’s) and Ex- Servicemen, working in the State Police Department for the last 10-12 years, are not satisfied with the recent hike in their salaries and are demanding further increase.
According to reports, the government had recently ordered hike in the salary of SPOs and ex-servicemen. The SPO’s salary was increased to Rs.3000 per month against Rs.1500 per month while those of the Ex- Servicemen it was fixed at Rs.3, 000 against Rs.2000 per month.
The order, which came into effect from the current month, has not satisfied the SPOs and Ex-servicemen, as they are demanding a bit more than this. According to sources, at present there are about 23,000 SPO’s employed in police department who were appointed under the central government’s order in the mid 90’s when militancy in Jammu and Kashmir was at its peak. During the time of their engagement, it was agreed that their duty hours would be restricted to 8 hours a day and they would be posted in the close vicinity up to the distance of 5-10 kilometers from their residences.
But, the conditions are altogether different on the ground as SPO’s can be seen everywhere including on Court duty, Patrol duty, Sentry duty, police station duty etc. They are performing their duties equally to the permanent police constables, but still they are facing discrimination on the monetary front.
It may be recalled that the recent hike in pay perks has been ordered after nearly 10-12 years whereas; prices of all essential commodities have increased manifold in the past decade. Most part of pay is being spent by the SPOs on their fare and lunch and thus little is kept to carry on the monthly domestic expenditure. Notwithstanding meager salary, these SPO’s have played a pivotal role in fighting militancy in the state and even some of these have sacrificed their lives while fighting militants.
When contacted, Financial Commissioner Home, B R Kundal said that earlier SPO’s and Ex-Servicemen were put in two separate categories but now they have been placed in a single category. He replied in negative to the demand of further increase in the pay of SPO’s, but added that government is well aware of the hardships being faced by these SPO’s, due to meager salary.
Meanwhile, the Director General of Police Gopal Sharma said the Police Department had recommended a consolidated pay of Rs.5000 for these SPO’s but Central Government restricted it to Rs.3000 only. “We will again try to increase their salary’, he maintained.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
