‘Hike in ration money in active consideration, Pay anomaly to be sorted out soon’
Srinagar: Minister of state for home affairs Sajad Ahmad Kithcloo on Tuesday said that government is vigorously pursuing its proposal of enhancement in honorarium of Special Police Officials (SPOs) put before the union he ministry.
Talking to KNS, Kitchloo said that the state government has already submitted its recommendations for the increase in honorarium of SPOs and the chief minister Omar Abdullah has already taken up the issues with government of India besides other important issues pertaining to the police force.
Kithcloo said that in his recent meeting with union home minister Rajnath Singh, the chief minister vehemently argued in favour of hike in honorarium of SPOs. “The government is on it. I hope the proposal will get through very soon,” the minister of state for home affairs told KNS. Kitchloo said Government’s proposal for enhancement of the honorarium of SPOs from the existing Rs.3000 to Rs. 5000 per month has been submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs, GOI, for concurrence and the same is awaited.
Kitchloo said that the state government has already formulated a comprehensive policy in the years 2009 for absorption/conversion of SPOs as constables/followers. The policy provides for conversion/absorption of SPOs (with minimum 3 years of engagement) upto 15% of the available vacancies as constables/followers son the basis of their (i) excellence in counter insurgency operations; (ii) excellence in sports and should have won 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions in individual or team events at the state or national level and (iii) possession of ITI diploma in different trades or AICTE recognized diploma in computers subject to their qualifying in trade test. Besides, SPOs who have crossed the age limit of 28 years but are within 37 years of age and have completed 3 years continuous engagement are eligible to apply for appointment/regularization to the post of constables/followers to the extent of 15% or the available vacancies.
Proving further details, Kitchloo said the since 2009 till date over 2116 SPOs have been converted as constables/followers under the above policy. Regarding the status of implementation of SRO 43 in respect of the NOKs of the SPOs killed in harness along-with the details of the pending cases up-to date the government stated that In terms of SRO 302 of 2009, Kithcloo said the Director General of Police (DGP), is authorized to appoint an eligible ward of a SPO killed in the militancy related action in the Police Department under SRO-43/1994 provided he/she fulfills the other prescribed formalities.
He said that enhancement of Ration Money for police personnel is in active consideration of the state government and a memo in this regard will be presented before the state cabinet very soon. Kitchloo said that the issue of pay anomaly in police force has been already forwarded to the finance department for financial concurrence. He said he has already discussed the issue of pay anomaly within different ranks of J&K Police with the finance minister and the government was actively considering the case and would soon take a call on the issue. Kitchloo assured police force that the matter would be sorted out without any further delay and said that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had assured Police that the discrepancies in the pay anomaly would be sorted out very soon.