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CRPF men fume, cry discrimination
CRPF cadre officers are incensed over a “discriminatory” proposal to grant “greater career benefits” exclusively to IPS officers on deputation to the force for their “successful” stints in extremism-affected areas.
Some of the steps that are being considered by the Union Home Ministry for the benefit of IPS officers include hazard/risk pay on the pattern of armed forces serving in disturbed areas; a separate medal/award; priority in getting Government accommodation and their children in getting admission to schools of their choice besides priority in foreign assignments such as UN mission; deputation to Intelligence Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing’s foreign missions apart from choice posting after completion of their tenure in the paramilitary force.
Insiders say IPS officers’ deputation to the CRPF is in itself a reward as they get an opportunity to learn about counter-insurgency strategies and operations, riot control and anti-terrorism expertise. “IPS officers are otherwise trained only in law and order duties but they lead the paramilitary at the top level. They mostly operate from urban centres and seek greater career benefits for their limited stints in the paramilitary force,” they pointed out.
They said the Government should instead consider better service conditions for the cadre officers as they are the ones who lead the force from the front and devote their service entirely to the paramilitary force.
About 125 cadre officers have left the force in the last four years and the reasons include lack of promotional avenues, undefined career progression and obvious discrimination vis a vis the IPS officials.
Most of the officers who sought premature retirement have left the paramilitary after paying the training cost to the tune of `2 to 4 lakh as required for leaving the force before 10 years of service. “Those who have taken premature retirement are assistant commandants and deputy commandants who led the troops at the cutting edge and their loss hurts the force most,” sources said.
Sources maintained the increasing trend of seeking premature retirement is due to lack of grant of organised service status including time-bound promotions to the cadre officials and poor living conditions.
The move to impart an organised service status to the cadre officials, they said, is being deliberately delayed despite recommendations from the Department of Personnel and Training and various Parliamentary panels.
Most of those leaving the force are those who have been recruited by the Union Public Service Commission and are opting for options like posts of security officer in the Public Sector Undertaking banks and other such enterprises.
IPS officers rarely get gallantry awards for their frontline role in police service but are generously awarded such medals for their supervisory roles in paramilitary forces. IPS officers are swiftly granted gallantry medals for their supervisory role but CRPF cadre officials like N Manoranjan, Singh who lead the force from the front and sacrifice their lives, are ignored.
CRPF DIG and IPS officer Nalin Prabhat was squarely blamed for the fiasco during his stint with the CRPF in Chhattisgarh in which 72 CRPF men lost their lives but was transferred to his hometown Chandigarh and later on shifted to Jammu Kashmir. He has also been named for gallantry medal but cadre officials do not get even one promotion after serving the force for 14 to 15 years.
Former IPS officer Nikhil Kumar had recently said the Indian Police Service has failed to keep up to the expectations of the public at large.
A number of State Governments have taken paramilitary officials on deputation as Additional Superintendents of Police (Operations) in hyper sensitive Naxal-affected districts apparently due to the lack of requisite skills of the IPS officials.
CRPF cadre officers are incensed over a “discriminatory” proposal to grant “greater career benefits” exclusively to IPS officers on deputation to the force for their “successful” stints in extremism-affected areas.
Some of the steps that are being considered by the Union Home Ministry for the benefit of IPS officers include hazard/risk pay on the pattern of armed forces serving in disturbed areas; a separate medal/award; priority in getting Government accommodation and their children in getting admission to schools of their choice besides priority in foreign assignments such as UN mission; deputation to Intelligence Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing’s foreign missions apart from choice posting after completion of their tenure in the paramilitary force.
Insiders say IPS officers’ deputation to the CRPF is in itself a reward as they get an opportunity to learn about counter-insurgency strategies and operations, riot control and anti-terrorism expertise. “IPS officers are otherwise trained only in law and order duties but they lead the paramilitary at the top level. They mostly operate from urban centres and seek greater career benefits for their limited stints in the paramilitary force,” they pointed out.
They said the Government should instead consider better service conditions for the cadre officers as they are the ones who lead the force from the front and devote their service entirely to the paramilitary force.
About 125 cadre officers have left the force in the last four years and the reasons include lack of promotional avenues, undefined career progression and obvious discrimination vis a vis the IPS officials.
Most of the officers who sought premature retirement have left the paramilitary after paying the training cost to the tune of `2 to 4 lakh as required for leaving the force before 10 years of service. “Those who have taken premature retirement are assistant commandants and deputy commandants who led the troops at the cutting edge and their loss hurts the force most,” sources said.
Sources maintained the increasing trend of seeking premature retirement is due to lack of grant of organised service status including time-bound promotions to the cadre officials and poor living conditions.
The move to impart an organised service status to the cadre officials, they said, is being deliberately delayed despite recommendations from the Department of Personnel and Training and various Parliamentary panels.
Most of those leaving the force are those who have been recruited by the Union Public Service Commission and are opting for options like posts of security officer in the Public Sector Undertaking banks and other such enterprises.
IPS officers rarely get gallantry awards for their frontline role in police service but are generously awarded such medals for their supervisory roles in paramilitary forces. IPS officers are swiftly granted gallantry medals for their supervisory role but CRPF cadre officials like N Manoranjan, Singh who lead the force from the front and sacrifice their lives, are ignored.
CRPF DIG and IPS officer Nalin Prabhat was squarely blamed for the fiasco during his stint with the CRPF in Chhattisgarh in which 72 CRPF men lost their lives but was transferred to his hometown Chandigarh and later on shifted to Jammu Kashmir. He has also been named for gallantry medal but cadre officials do not get even one promotion after serving the force for 14 to 15 years.
Former IPS officer Nikhil Kumar had recently said the Indian Police Service has failed to keep up to the expectations of the public at large.
A number of State Governments have taken paramilitary officials on deputation as Additional Superintendents of Police (Operations) in hyper sensitive Naxal-affected districts apparently due to the lack of requisite skills of the IPS officials.
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