The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to consider a plea by an association of Central police forces seeking ‘equal pay for equal work’ for performing duties similar to that of group 'A' services officers.
“We think it apt to say that if the conferment of monetary benefit can assuage the grievance of the respondents (central police organisations officers), the Union of India may rethink the matter without disturbing its sense of discipline as it conceives. The personnel of BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, RPF and SSB are to play their role in their duties,” a Bench led by Justice Dipak Misra observed in a short order.
The court named personnel of forces like the Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force, Railway Protection Force and Sashastra Seema Bal as the aggrieved parties.
Delhi HC order
The Supreme Court was hearing petitions filed by the Indian Police Services Central Association against a December 4, 2012 decision of the Delhi High Court.
The Association had challenged the High Court order creating Organised Group ‘A’ Services on the basis of “certain notes, correspondences and the letters” issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), as it is only the Home Department has the authority over it.
To consider a batch of petitions, the court decided to frame issues including if by virtue of issuing the office memorandum by the DoPT classifying the categories with regard to centralized Group ‘A’ Services, as a natural corollary, the other police organisations can have the similar benefits with the Organized Group ‘A’ Services.
The court said it would also consider whether the Home Department alone was responsible for taking the decision or other departments could confer the benefit of equivalence subject to approval by the Cabinet.
The court posted the matter for consideration on August 9.
‘Deputation may be hit’
Solicitor-General Ranjit Kumar said if the officers of Central police organisations were declared as Organized Group ‘A’ Services then there could not be any deputation from the Indian Police Service cadre and no one from there could come on deputation and it was likely to create a parallel system within the force establishment.
