Police personnel in the State, who were expecting a big jump in their salaries, are disappointed with the quantum of hike in allowances announced by the government on Friday.
The hike to the tune of Rs. 2,100 a month is less than half of what the Committee to Examine Disparities in Pay and Allowance of Police had recommended.
The committee's recommendations, if implemented in full, would have given them additional allowances in the range of Rs. 4,700 to Rs. 5,700.
“The committee was formed in a particular context as there was a gap in the salaries of police personnel and employees in the same rank in other departments. The only way to address it was to give a one-time wage hike of 30 per cent to 35 per cent as recommended by the committee, which would have brought the wages in the Police Department on a par with others. Now, the government has left the pay hike issue to be addressed by the pay commission. Employees in all departments will be benefited by its recommendations. But, the wage disparity between police personnel and staff in other departments will remain,” a senior official, who was part of the committee, told The Hindu .
V. Shashidhar of the Akhila Karnataka Police Mahasangha, who was arrested on sedition charge after the police personnel planned a mass leave on June 4, termed the government’s move as “woefully insufficient”. He is now out on bail.
“We don’t think that even the pay commission recommendations, which will offer only a meagre hike and take over two years to be implemented, will improve things,” he said.
A constable from Mysuru told The Hindu that the government’s move seemed to be only “punishing” the police further.
“We tried all means and even went to the extent of staging an open protest. But, as even that has not yielded any results, we have lost hope and many graduates and postgraduates may even contemplate quitting the force,” he said.
