The newly appointed Inspector General Police (IGP) has demanded of the Punjab government to enhance risk allowances of the Punjab Police, said an official letter written to the Chief Minister.
Official sources said that the IGP after taking charge of the top police office forwarded the summary to the CM for increase in the pay. The IGP Arif Nawaz Khan proposed that risk allowance should be restored at old rate i.e. 100% of one month pay equal to initial of pay scales, including PHP and traffic allowance equal to one extra pay. Moreover, fixed DA equal to 20 days should be granted at the old rate as on June 30 2017.
The IGP submitted that the financial implications involved in the matter will be met within the existing budget of Punjab police. The IGP further wrote that the CM Punjab sanctioned special salary package for the Punjab police with effect from April 2009. Pay scales were revised may times since 2009, but the risk allowance and fixed daily allowance for police were frozen at the level of BPS-2008 and 2005 respectively which caused gradual depreciation of the package.
Meanwhile, many allowances like special allowance @50 pc of the basic salary adhoc relief 2010 @50pc of salary, utility allowance, administrative allowance and many other incentives were granted to officers of various departments of Punjab government were withheld from Punjab police.
The IG further wrote in the summary that this lopsided increase in incentives brought at par to the police department and privilege of an extra pay granted to police due to risky nature of its duties has been eroded. The July 14 2017 notification of finance department has practically neutralized the special pay package of Punjab police. Moreover, the true spirit of one extra basic pay has been negated, besides placing police at a disadvantage in comparison with other departments. It has affected morale of the employees of Punjab police adversely and undermined their role in the fight against crime, terrorism and law and order.
The Punjab police constables time and again also demanded of the Punjab government to upgrade their scales as it enhanced and revised clerks’ scales.
About Rs 100 billion were reserved for Punjab Police in 201-18 as the government recommends spending Rs 149 billion for law and order, war on terror etc.
