30,000 SPOs get major hike in honorarium from MHA

Bid to boost morale, check resignations

Dr Jitendra lauds Rajnath’s decision

Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 26: Giving major benefits to nearly 30,000 Special Police Officers (SPOs) in Jammu and Kashmir, who have been fighting militancy bravely and courageously in the Valley, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs today substantially increased their honorarium with immediate effect.
The MHA headed by BJP veteran Rajnath Singh approved the hike proposed by Jammu and Kashmir Government today and wrote to Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam to effect revision in the honorarium from the date of issue of this order. The hike in honorarium was aimed at boosting morale of the SPOs, who were constantly been threatened by the militants to quit jobs and three of them had been killed in Shopian only last week.
An official order issued by the Director, Ministry of Home Affairs, Jammu and Kashmir wing, said the SPOs, who have less than five years of service will now get Rs 6000 honorarium per month. This will benefit 10,967 SPOs. On completion of five years of services, the honorarium of SPOs will go up to Rs 9,000 per month, which will benefit 10,623 SPOs.
After completion of 15 years of service, the honorarium of SPOs will rise to Rs 12,000, which will presently benefit 8411 SPOs, the MHA order issued by Sulekha, Director, Jammu and Kashmir Affairs, said.
Presently, the maximum honorarium of SPOs was Rs 6,000 per month, which too had been raised from Rs 3,000 per month by present Narendra Modi Government. The MHA bears entire expenditure incurred on honorarium of the SPOs in J&K under the Security Related Expenditure.
The MHA order said the revision of honorarium will be effective from the date of issue of the order i.e. today.
“The terms and conditions for engagement of the SPOs would be the same,” the MHA order said.
As per the existing scale, the SPOs who had rendered one year of service were being paid Rs 5000 per month while the SPOs, who had rendered service between one and two years were getting Rs 5500 per month and those, who had completed two years were getting Rs 6,000 per month.
The jump in honorarium of the SPOs comes close on the heels of reports of resignations be few SPOs in South Kashmir following militant threats. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs had denied reports saying that only those SPOs had resigned, whose contracts hadn’t been renewed.
Last week, the militants had kidnapped and killed three SPOs in Shopian district of South Kashmir.
Union Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Dr Jitendra Singh had taken up the matter for increase in hike of the SPOs with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Dr Jitendra Singh had been pursuing increase in honorarium of SPOs vigorously as they had been performing their duties exceptionally well and number of them had laid down their lives fighting bravely with the militants
Dr Jitendra Singh said he had taken up the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh since 2014 after which honorarium of SPOs was increased from Rs 3000 to Rs 6000 per month, which two was considered inadequate and not it has been raised further, which will immensely benefit them.
Director General of Police, Dilbag Singh, has also expressed his gratitude to Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, Governor Satya Pal Malik, Advisor to Governor K Vijay Kumar, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam, Principal Secretary Home R K Goyal and other officers of State and Central Governments for increasing the remuneration of the SPOs working in the State.
Dilbag conveyed his gratitude to the Union Home Ministry and the State Government for fulfilling this demand of enhancement of remuneration of the SPOs. He has the gesture of the State and Central Government will go a long way in boosting the morale of the SPOs engaged with the J&K Police and who have been working shoulder to shoulder with J&K Police personnel.

 

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