Srinagar, May 18: Director General of Police (DGP), Rashmi Ranjan Swain Saturday again urged the Principal Secretary to the Home Department to examine and address the ongoing pay disparity issues affecting inspector-ranked officers in the J&K Police.
The DGP emphasised the need for a thorough review to ensure fair and equitable compensation for these officers, highlighting the importance of maintaining morale and motivation within the force.
This call for action underscores the ongoing concerns regarding salary imbalances within the J&K Police, which have been a point of contention for some time.
“Kind attention is invited to the longstanding grievance of the Inspector-ranking officers of the J&K Police about pay disparity vis-à-vis officers of the same rank in other state police organisations and central police organisations like the NIA, CRPF, Delhi Police, Gujarat Police, and Bihar Police,” reads a letter written to the Home secretary. “The pay disparity is also vis-à-vis Section Officers, Stenographers, and AAOs of other departments of J&K government who till the end of the 5th Pay Commission were similarly placed.”
The Jammu and Kashmir Police chief has given a break-up of salaries for Inspectors in NIA and CRPF.
“As can be seen, the downgrading that has not been corrected has resulted in a baseline pay difference of Rs 9000 per month. When other allowances are allowable based on basic pay, this difference increases. Broadly speaking, with DA touching 50 percent of the basic pay, this difference works out to be around Rs 13,500. Allowances such as HRA, Hardship Allowance, 21-day allowance connected with basic pay also have come to be reduced because of this anomaly.”
It adds that the continuation of this downgrading despite repeated requests and representations has hurt the morale and professional pride of the officers at this cutting-edge leadership level.
“There are approximately 1200 Inspector-ranking positions in the J&K Police set up who provide extremely important leadership to about 1.2 lakh Police personnel and discharge very sensitive responsibilities as Station House Officers of Police Stations and Officer In-charge of SOG sub-units that defines the quality of prevention and detection of crime, maintenance of law and order, collection of intelligence, supporting prosecution in courts, undertaking special operations against organised crime syndicates including terrorism, separatism, narcotics, land mafia, gangsterism, cyber frauds and a wide range of services that has a bearing on the legitimacy, popularity and image of the administration,” the letter reads. “This ‘differential treatment’ despite holding similar rank and responsibilities in a J&K-like situation where, unlike in other states and parts of the country, Police have to work as the chief coordinator and alongside several other security partners becomes more perceptible resulting in visible relative deprivation.”
It states: “The earlier requests on this subject pending for a long time may please be examined at the earliest and a favourable decision may be considered in the larger interest of increased morale and productivity of the J&K Police.”