The Chhattisgarh Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Raman Singh on Tuesday decided to go for a substantial enhancement of facilities provided to the troopers, Assistant Constables ( formerly SPOs) and undercover troopers serving in the seven insurgency-infested districts of Bastar division.The Cabinet proposals will be implemented from July 1, 2015.Briefing media persons here after the Cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister announced that around 22,000 troopers would be benefited by enhancement in facilities decided for them out of which 11,000 are troopers with regular service.
He said the State would annually incur an expenditure of Rs121 crore for providing more facilities to the troopers.The monthly salary of Assistant Constables including allowances paid had been raised from Rs8,990 to Rs14,144. The Assistant constables and the undercover troopers would also be covered by Rs25 lakh insurance policy as offered to other troopers, Singh said.Till now, the Assistant constables and the undercover troopers were covered by a policy of mere Rs5 lakhs, he said.‘Chhattisgarh has 70 per cent of the insurgency-infested area in the country. The impact of insurgency is about 90 per cent in the various districts of Bastar division” Singh said.
The CM further stated: “Our brave troopers had been holding fort in very trying conditions. Their sincere duties had been helping to carry on development work in the insurgency infested pockets in which many have been martyred and injured. For this, with a view to boosting their morale, the Government is committed to enhancing the facilities,” he said.The decision would also benefit troopers posted in the insurgency infested pockets of Gariaband and Rajnandgaon districts, he said.Singh said that the troopers would now also get good quality shoes and bagsThe CM also announced that a 100-bed ultra modern hospital would be established under the PPP model through the Police Housing Corporation in Jagdalpur for troopers serving in Bastar.
He said currently, the seriously injured troopers are shifted to Raipur for better treatment.Singh said that Rs2000 Ration Allowance will be provided to Assistant Constables, Intelligence-gathering troopers and Special Task Force.The State will incur an additional expenditure of Rs35.31 crore.Singh said that there are 458 intelligence-gathering cops and the number will be increased to 608 soon.State Transport Minister Rajesh Munat said that the Cabinet meeting had also decided the routes of city buses. About 251 city buses will ply on 220 routes. The fares of the buses have also been fixed.