The 7th Pay Commission recommendations have brought bad tidings for the Delhi Police as all of their representations have been turned down. There were four major demands of the Delhi Police including the parity salary with the Chandigarh Police, granting Group A status to DANIPs officers, bridging the pay disparity among the ministerial staff and the compensatory pay to the non-gazzetted personnel.
The commission did not agree to any of these demands. The commission also rejected the demands of DANICS officers who form the backbone of Delhi administration.
The biggest setback for the Delhi Police was in the form of salary disparity in the Non-Gazetted (executive posts) ranks. The Delhi Police has demanded upgradation of pay scales from Constables to Inspectors on the grounds that pay of similarly-placed posts in Punjab, Himachal, Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh are higher than theirs. The commission while rejecting this demand noted, “There is no justification for drawing parity with the State Police as they are outside the mandate of the commission. Hence this commission cannot consider the demand”.
The second demand was to classify the post of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) as Group A. The commission ruled, “Since the Grade Pay (5400) is the entry grade of all the Central Services group ‘A’, the commission cannot recommend the same to DANIPs which is a group ‘B’ service”.
The commission also rejected the third demand of the Delhi Police to bring parity in the pay band of ministerial/stenographer cadre.
On the fourth demand on Compensatory pay of Non-Gazetted Personnel of Delhi Police to grant 90 days additional salary as they fail avail the leave due to 24/7 nature job, the commssion said, “It is stated that the Delhi Police is already getting one month’s additional salary for the posts from Constables to Inspectors. Now they have demanded 60 days’ additional pay for all ranks. The grant of 60 days’ additional pay with one month’s leave will amount to three months’ benefit. This demand does not seem to be justified and cannot be accepted”.
The commission has also rejected six-point recommendations of DANICS officers association, saying its administrative matter which should be resolved the State Government with the Ministry of Home Affairs. The officers are disappointed over the manner the house rent allowances has been reduced from the existing 30 per cent to 24 per cent in the national Capital.
A senior DANICS officer said on the condition of anonymity that DANICS association has submitted six points to remove disparity in the pay scales but none of their recommendations are accepted. Rejecting their recommendations, the commission said these recommendations are administrative in nature that should be resolved by the State Government with the Home Ministry. The house rent allowances also reduced from the existing 30 per cent to 24 per cent in the seventh pay commission and DANICS officers are highly disappointed. They got nothing from the seventh pay commission. Ironically, the commission is comparing hike in salary and other allowances on the base of 2006 recommendations.
It would be pertinent to mention that the Centre immediately declared the Delhi Government’s order “null and void” when the Arvind Kejriwal Government had declared to give pay hike to DANICS. In addition, lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, in a stern message, directed all officers not to follow the Delhi Government orders.
Jung issued a memorandum on September 18, stating that officers would face strict action for non-compliance with the order. Three days after Jung’s directive, the Delhi Cabinet decided to defer the Government’s earlier decision to upgrade the salary structure of DANICS officers and put the ball in the Centre’s court.
This move shattered the hopes of 434 DANICS officers, including 315, who are serving in Delhi. This week, a delegation of DANICS officers met Jung, who assured them of taking up the issue with the MHA on priority. However, he told them that their decision of approaching the Delhi Government has dented their chances of a hike in salary and time-bound promotions. Jung has written to Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi to consider DANICS officers’ demand.
In their presentation before Jung, the DANICS Association stated that in 2006, the MHA had agreed to fulfil their demands but did not implement them.
DANICS officers said a proposal for giving a pay scale of `18,400 to `22,400 (now called `10,000 as per the Sixth Pay Commission terminology) was mooted in 2006.