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Centre’s nod for increase follows abduction, killing of SPO, policemen last week
The Union Home Ministry’s decision to increase the salaries of Special Police Officers in Jammu and Kashmir came after the State Chief Secretary wrote to the Centre highlighting the threat to their lives. On Wednesday the Ministry enhanced the honorarium for SPOs who have more than 15 years of experience, from Rs. 6,000 to Rs. 12,000 per month. On September 21, three policemen, including a Special Police Officer (SPO) were abducted from their homes and killed by suspected militants in south Kashmir’s Shopian. Following this, several videos surfaced where SPOs announced their resignations. The Home Ministry later issued a statement denying that any SPO had resigned, saying “mischievous elements are trying to project that those SPOs whose services are not renewed due to administrative reasons, have resigned.”
For motivation
J&K Chief Secretary B.V.R. Subrahmanyam wrote to Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba on September 24, saying that “given the risks that they face in performing their duties and the threats to their lives, there is a need to pay experienced SPOs a slightly higher rate that would motivate them to work in difficult circumstances”. The letter, accessed by The Hindu, also said that SPOs had a key role in the functioning of J&K police. The militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen had issued threats to policemen and SPOs to either quit or face action. There are around 30,000 SPOs in J&K who assist the State police in various functions including that of intelligence gathering. The Union Home Ministry wrote back to the State government on September 26 that it has decided to enhance the monthly remuneration of SPOs. The salary of SPOs is reimbursed by the Centre. In an interview to The Hindu on September 24, J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik had said the government had proposed to increase the salary of the SPOs from Rs. 6,000 to Rs. 16,000. As per the latest order, there are 10,967 SPOs with less than five years of experience who would be entitled to monthly remuneration of Rs. 6,000. As many as 10,623 SPOs, who have completed five years, are now entitled to Rs. 9,000 per month while 8,411 SPOs, who have completed 15 years, are to be given Rs. 12,000 per month.
Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/enhanced-pay-for-jk-spos-based-on-threat-perception/article25063972.ece
