The West Bengal Police Association is up in arms against the Left Front government over the way it is providing risk allowance to policemen combating terrorism in the state. In an order circulated on October 28,the state government had said that it would provide risk allowance to police personnel belonging to two categories policemen of Special Task Force of Kolkata police,which has been raised to fight terrorist violence,and those posted at 21 police stations in the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected three districts of West Midnapore,Bankura and Purulia. The allowance,to be effective from October,will be an additional 30 per cent of the basic pay. What about police stations like Sankrail where two officers were killed by the Maoists or Nayagram,which is surrounded by jungles? Several police stations,which are vulnerable,have been left out, Bijitaswa Raut,the associations general secretary,told The Indian Express. We have problems with the amount also, he added. On November 18,Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will chair the meeting of Joint Consultative Committee to discuss various welfare measures,including medical facilities,insurance cover housing and others for the police force. Look at the consultative committee. It is supposed to be held every year but for the past five years no meeting was held. Its so ridiculous, said Raut. The state government is also planning to increase the ex-gratia amount paid to the families of those who are killed in terrorist violence from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.
