The Ministry of Personnel has directed the Union Home and Railway Ministries to move separate proposals to grant “organised service” status to the Central paramilitary forces and Railway Protection Forces respectively.
The move comes following a directive from the Supreme Court for granting organised service status to these forces. The organised service status will enable the cadre officers to be eligible for certain service benefits like Non-Functional Upgradation (financial benefits after certain number of years of service if promotion to the next post is not possible).
Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) under the Ministry of Personnel in a letter issued on Monday to the Joint Secretary (Police-I) of Home Ministry Amitabh Kharkwal and Joint Director (Estt/GC), Railway Board, Amitabh Joshi said, “….MHA/Ministry of Railways requested to move a proposal for grant of organised status for implementation of the order of the Supreme Court immediately. The directions of the court regarding deputation of IPS officers to CAPFs and RPF may also be kept in view while formulating the proposal.”
The procedure for granting organised status to a service is similar to that of a cadre review. Such a proposal, initially moved by Cadre Controlling Authority (CCA) is examined by DoPT and Department of Expenditure, and subsequently, their recommendations are placed before the Cadre Review Committee chaired by the Cabinet Secretary.
The proposal is then sent for final approval of the Cabinet. Necessary notifications in this regard are to be issued by the CCA like MHA for Central Armed Police Force and Ministry of Railways for RPF (Railway Protection Force, reads the DoPT order issued by MS Subramanya Rao, Director of Cadre Review Division.
VPS Panwar, Chairman, National Coordination Committee for Ex CPMFs Welfare Associations, said there is no need at all for a proposal for granting organised service status to the paramilitary forces as the Supreme Court had said that the forces are already in the category and the Government was directed to simply issue a notification to the effect.
Panwar said a contempt petition is pending before the Delhi High Court and the next date of hearing is March 28. The contempt petition was moved by the National Coordination Committee as the Government has sought proposals for granting organised service status instead of declaring them as organised service as directed by the court.
The grant of organised service to Group A cadre officers will entitle them to timely promotion and enhanced pay packages. This will also enable them to form associations on the lines of the All India Services and represent properly before the Central Pay Commission besides giving them a collective bargaining power for better service conditions, Panwar added.