In its bid to accord the ‘organised service’ status and related benefits to thousands of Central Paramilitary Group A officers of the executive cadre, the Centre has directed the chiefs of the Central Forces to send proposals detailing the list of eligible officers.
The move is prompted by a Supreme Court order for grant of the organised service status to these officers which will lead to grant of Non-Functional Financial Upgradation (NFFU) and Non-Functional Selection Grade (NFSG). While NFFU will lead to an enhanced pay after a certain number of years even if the officers are not actually promoted due to paucity of senior posts, NFSG will ensure an upgrade in the rank of Selection Grade despite lack of vacancy for higher positions.
The Union Home Ministry on Tuesday directed the chiefs or Directors General (DsG) of the five Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) — CRPF, BSF, ITBP, SSB and CISF — to forward proposals containing details of officers eligible for benefits of Non-Functional Financial Upgradation (NFFU) and Non-Functional Selection Grade (NFSG).
The Ministry has directed that these details are required to be submitted to it by Thursday and also asked them to treat the matter “top priority”. A copy of the order is with The Pioneer.
The apex court had in February upheld a Delhi High Court verdict on the subject and agreed that all the CAPFs be recognised as “organised services”, saying it will remove stagnation, ensuring the promotion and other service-related benefits to officers in the same post.
The Delhi High Court on March 15 had asked the Centre to file a compliance affidavit on the subject after a retired and a serving officer of these forces filed a contempt petition before it saying the government has not complied with its directions.
The SC had held that Group ‘A’ officers of the CAPFs should be given all benefits, including NFFU from 2006 in terms of the 6th pay commission. The SC had also upheld the Delhi HC’s two verdicts by which it had granted “organised service” status to these forces and also to the officers of the Railway Protection Force (RPF).
NFFU is a concept introduced in the 6th pay commission and was granted to what the government termed as Group “A” organised services.
Under NFFU, if all the officers of a particular batch cannot move up the ladder owing to lack of vacancies and only one does, the others will automatically get financial upgradation as the one promoted.
The recognition will also enable CAPF officers to get better deputation opportunities in other government departments that will help them gather knowledge and expertise of different domains besides also getting more posts at the command level in comparison to the IPS officers on deputation to the paramilitary forces.