Government nudges Pay Commission to end discord among Forces

New Delhi Already grappling with the controversy generated by BSF soldier’s video, another video posted by a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan, Jeet Singh, demanding pay and benefits parity with Army, has made the government conscious of growing discord prevailing among the Forces.

Sources said the union home ministry is trying to push the recommendations through the Seventh Pay Commission to quieten discord at the earliest. A senior home ministry official said, several key issues flagged by Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) are being sorted out in the Seventh Pay Commission that should end their grouse.

“We have recommended house travel allowance for jawans two times in a year, HRA to keep their families at any location in India, risk and hardship allowance at par with the Army and substantial increase in the allowance from Rs. 9 lakh to Rs. 20 lakh in case of serious injury and more leaves,” said the official.

In his message on YouTube seeking PM Modi’s intervention, Jeet Singh alleged discrimination compared to the Army and poor pay package to the CRPF jawans.

The CRPF dismissed Singh’s complaint terming it as an old video that does not have much relevance as many things are being sorted out in the Seventh Pay Commission.

“An Inspector General rank officer of the force has already got in touch with him. But he has not indicted the CRPF in any way. His grievances are about pay parity with the Army for which we have already given a representation to the Pay Commission which is under consideration,” CRPF Director General K Durga Prasad said.