State Govt hikes allowances of cops

BHUBANESWAR: Giving in to the demands of the police personnel, the State Government on Saturday revised the extra duty incentive for constables, sepoys and havildars of Odisha Police from `20,000 to `25,000.The Government has also renamed the incentive from ‘one month’s extra salary’ to ‘extra duty incentive’, which is paid to the personnel for working on holidays.

The Home department resolution stated that the incentive has been revised as per the basic pay of these police personnel without dearness allowance (DA) subject to a maximum ceiling of `25,000 per annum. The contractual police personnel in the rank of constables, sepoys and havildars, who are engaged in anti-Naxal duties, will be provided incentive as per their consolidated remuneration.

The Government has also enhanced motorcycle allowance provided to Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASI), Sub-Inspectors (SI) and Inspectors from `700 to `1,050 per month. The allowance has also been renamed as mobility allowance and extended to Sub-Inspectors (SIs) deployed in anti-Naxal duties.

The mobility allowance of constables, sepoys, havildars and equivalent ranks has also been hiked from `150 per month to `300. The anti-Naxal mobility incentive of `300 per month will now be provided to constables, sepoys and havildars engaged in Maoist-affected areas.

Special diet allowance of constables, sepoys, lance naiks, havildars and equivalent ranks has been increased from `1,150 per month to `1,400. The contractual police personnel in the same ranks who are deployed in anti-Maoist duties will also be covered.

The Odisha Police Association said only one of its demands to enhance the mobility allowance has been fulfilled. “We are hopeful that the State Government will soon revise the grade pay scale of ASIs, SIs and Inspectors and do away with regular recruitment of direct DSPs as it affects the promotions of lower rank officers to the rank of DSP,” association’s president Satyajit Mishra told The Express.

Earlier, three police associations of the State had threatened protest over non-fulfilment of their long-pending demands.