Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 27: Notwithstanding that Kashmir Police Services (KPS) officers are selected in one Civil Services Examination conducted by the State Public Services Commission (PSC), they were facing gross discrimination in terms of promotions, fixation of seniority and salaries as compared to their colleagues, who are selected as KAS in the same exam.
The agony is that the KPS officer can’t even agitate to get their grievances addressed from the State Government or Police Headquarters as their KAS colleagues can do since Unionism is banned in the Police Services while the KAS officers and other Gazetted Service officers have duly registered Associations and can project their cause at any forum.
Sources told the Excelsior that the State High Court in December 2011 in a writ petition titled Anita Sharma v/s State had asked the Home Department of the State Government to re-draw seniority list of the KPS officers. However, even after lapse of about four and half years, the Government hasn’t issued the seniority list.
The Government did form the Committees headed by DG Dr Shesh Pal Vaid and IGP Yogender Koul but the final seniority list hasn’t been issued so far by the Home Department despite their recommendations, a result of which nearly 600 to 700 KPS and other Gazetted Officers of Police were suffering.
“Unlike KAS, which follows Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service Rules 2008 laid down by the State Government through SRO 386, which addresses all concerns regarding strength of cadre, constitution of service, pay scales, promotions etc, the same SRO was not applicable to State Police (Gazetted) officers,” sources said, pointing out that instead the Gazetted police officers were governed by J&K Recruitment Rules 2002 issued vide SRO 132.
There is no such cadre for State police officers (Gazetted) though similar cadres exist in many other States like Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and New Delhi named State Police (Gazetted) Services.
They said a KAS officer upon his promotions gets Pay Band-3 with Grade Pay 6600 while KPS officer, when promoted, gets into Pay Band-3 with Grade Pay only 5600, thereby creating disparity in the grades.
As such, they pointed out, a KAS officer without being inducted into IAS reached Pay Band 4 while a KPS officer retires in Pay Band 3, leading to massive difference between pay and pensionary benefits of the KAS and KPS officers. In all other States, the local State Police (Gazetted) officers were treated at par with the local State Civil (Gazetted) officers in every pay scale.
Pointing out that KPS officers have no one to plead their cause in the corridors of power, they said the frustration has crept in among them as none of them know where they stand in the stand, which delay their promotions and induction into the IPS.
“A review of the career progression of State Police (Gazetted) officers revealed that there was total stagnation since 1992-93 as some of the officers have been working in their respective grades since long (10-12 years). Though Police Rules envisaged that a DySP was entitled for Selection Grade after completion of five years services, the 2008 batch officers even after completing eight years of services, were yet to be promoted,” sources said.
It may be mentioned here that a system of time bound release of Grades if already in vogue in some Government services in the State (veterinary doctors etc) but it has not been extended to the coveted State Services though the financial implications were minimal.
“There are no guidelines/ scheme as far as career progression of KPS officers was concerned. The stagnation with regard to State Police (Gazetted) officers has reached at its peak. The career of nearly 400-500 Gazetted officers comprising batches of 1999, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015 is at stake,” they pointed out.
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