New Delhi: The Central Paramilitary
forces (CPMFs) have approached the Government for covering
some more areas under the hardship and risk allowances
category so that its personnel fighting insurgency, militancy
and in hostile conditions get more monetary benefits.
The need for defining such areas arose after the Home
Ministry ordered in April that central security forces would
get hardship and risk allowances at par with the defence
personnel while countering militancy, insurgency and Left
wing extremism in areas defined "only" by the Army.
Forces like the CRPF, BSF, ITBP, SSB and CISF have
taken their plea to the Home Ministry in order to ensure that
benefits reach all their fighting men, official sources said.
While CRPF wants certain insurgency hit areas of
northeast to be identified, BSF has favoured areas of
Rajasthan, Gujarat and West Bengal to be classified as
areas with risks or hardships.
The BSF has taken a plea that certain desert areas of
Rajasthan and few left out areas of Sunderbans in West Bengal
be included.
Similarly, "the CISF is pitted against naxalites who
are ensconced in dense jungles while the SSB troops are
protecting Salwa Judum workers in Chhattisgarh," the sources
said.
The April order of Ministry of Home Affairs had
mentioned scope of a new categorisation of areas for Central
paramilitary forces as it said, "other uncongenial areas not
covered under Army specified locations" would be considered by
a special committee of the Home Ministry on a case-to-case
basis, criteria of merits and furnishing of deployment
details with adequate justification by the CPMFs".
"The need to have separate paramilitary co-ordinates
or operations area was felt as the central forces are
operating in areas which the Army does not recognise. Due to
different internal security duties of various forces, jawans
serving in such unrecognised areas will not be able to avail
benefits of special allowances," a senior paramilitary
official said.
With the earlier monetary allocation coming into
force, a jawan fighting in naxal-hit areas will earn around
Rs2,300 while a Commandant will earn around Rs 6,000 more on
his existing salary in the same area.
Men posted for counter-insurgency operations will earn
Rs 3,000 (constable) and Rs 7,800 (Commandant), sources said.
BSF men deployed on the Line of Control (LoC) have
been benefitted as they function under the command of the Army
there.
While CRPF men fighting naxal menace have been brought
under the Modified Field Area Allowance, Indo-Tibetan Border
Police (ITBP) force personnel deployed at icy heights along
the Sino-Indian border have been brought under the "high
altitude" and "high risk allowance".
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, July 23, 2009, 15:37