More than 300 officers of the rank of superintendents and deputy superintendents of police are angry at the government for not paying them emoluments due according to a government scheme for their cadre.
The non-functional (monetary) scheme (NFS) fixes various slabs of monetary increments to the police officers if their rank promotions do not come through at due intervals in service.
“Due to stagnation in police department, this scheme was introduced with the aim to provide higher pay grades to the officers who face delay in promotion to next rank due to stagnation,” an official said.
At least 36 deputy superintendents of police from 2008 batch are also awaiting their promotions but delay has put them into a state of uneasiness.
A notification for NFS, the scheme, was issued under SRO 215 in May 2018, but so far the promised monetary benefits have been given only to a single batch of Jammu and Kashmir Police Service officers from 1999 batch.
Police officer due for the benefits are now fuming at authorities alleging inordinate delay in implementation of the NFS scheme and step-motherly treatment with ‘men in khaki’ in the state.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a number of police officers from various batches shared their anger with Greater Kashmir.
“What’s our fault? Why step-motherly treatment with JKPS,” said a deputy superintendent of police who is still posted in restive Kashmir valley.
“We stand in front of bullets and still face such treatment.”
A SP rank officer from 2001 batch KPS, presently posted in armed police, said, “most of the officers (denied NFS benefits) worked in mass uprisings of 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2016.”
“We have minimal social and family life too. But when it comes to monetary benefits, the government starts acting like a step-mother,” the officer said.
“See the number of our colleagues who stood in the line of fire and lost their lives. Only then one can understand the sacrifices of JK police,” another deputy superintendent of police said.
One DySP of police, posted in Jammu division said more painful for them was to see their batch mates posted in civil departments receiving all kinds of benefits including NFS scheme in due course of time as he kept waiting for the same.
“Except 1999 batch officers of our cadre, rest all officers including those of 2001 batch are waiting for NFS benefits which is injustice with us,” he said.
Another superintendent of police of 2001 batch further added and said, “we and civil department officers of our batch qualified same examination but in grades there are lots of discrepancies which especially include time-bound grades.”
“In general process, officers of 2008 JKPS batch should have gotten NFS benefit but even 2001 batch officers are waiting for the same,” said another SP rank officer of 2004 batch.
He further said that some benefits mentioned in notification of NFS have been overlooked and government should ensure that all aspects of notification are implemented properly and the benefit goes to all.
Meanwhile, officers of JKPS cadre from 2008 batch also expressed their resentment due to inordinate delay in their promotion.
“Under general process, we should have been promoted a couple of years ago, and at the least we were expecting our promotion in first few months of 2018,” said a 2008 batch DySP.