Sixth Pay Commission: Ignored, Orissa police personnel cry foul

Even as government employees are euphoric over the Sixth Pay Commission, the personnel in uniform are crying foul.

The discontent among the ranks, over what they have termed a blatant disregard to their services, has assumed such proportions that havildars, constables and sepoys in the State police have announced not to accept their salaries till their legitimate benefits are accorded to them.

President of the Orissa Police/OSAP Havildar, Constables Sepoys Confederation Padmanav Behera on Thursday said more than 40,000 personnel in the ranks would prefer to forgo pay unless correctional measures are immediately initiated by the Government.

While constituting the Sixth Pay Commission, the Central Government had included a high official from the police as a member. As a result, the Commission had made special recommendations for central police and armed forces. Despite this, there was dissatisfaction among the Central forces prompting the Centre to go for a relook and announce improved packages, Behera said.

But here in Orissa, the Fitment Committee did not have any representative from the police. It also did not factor into the pay packages the proposals submitted by the association. So much so that the recommendations do not even mention the name of police.

Denouncing the step-motherly treatment, the association in a memorandum to the Chief Minister has called for formation of a Cabinet sub-committee or a high-power committee to examine the ground realities and fix appropriate pay packages and benefits to police personnel.

The resentment has also been reflected among the forest services with the Orissa Non-Gazetted Forest Service Association (ONGFSA) also threatening to take to agitation. In March this year, Naveen Patnaik had accepted their demands and declared Forest Rangers as Group B officers and equated deputy rangers, foresters and forest guards with sub-inspector of police, ASI and constables respectively.

But the Fitment Committee Report has exposed the ‘betrayal’ by fitting forest guards with the pay band of Group D employees of the Government, general secretary JB Patnaik alleged.