The Central Reserve Police Force has urged the Sixth Pay Commission to consider ex-gratia payment of Rs 30 lakh to each personnel killed in action by militants. CRPF director general JK Dutt said today that a slew of measures were recommended to the Commission with a view to improve their standard of living.In a presentation to the Commission yesterday, the CRPF made a case for ex-gratia payment in addition to offering “special duty allowance” to the jawans posted in J-K and Naxalite infested states. This allowance is availed only by personnel posted in the Northeastern states that is 12 per cent of the basic salary. An official said the special duty allowance is of utmost importance since 86 per cent of the force is posted in conflict zones and have to perform under hazardous circumstances. The presentation also underscored the need to enhance certain allowances that were fixed about two decades ago. These include stipends to medal winners in the force and for maintenance of uniform and tuition fees of children. The need for an ex-gratia payment, said sources, is also due to the new pension scheme that is significantly different from the earlier policy. According to the new norms, all personnel are required to contribute a part of their basic salary to receive pension. This means that family members of jawans killed in action soon after joining the force would receive a trivial sum compared to those who spend a longer time in the force. Personnel in some paramilitary organisations are allowed to avail insurance policies on a voluntary basis. For the CRPF, insurance firms offer Rs 5 lakh to the families of jawans killed in duty and Rs 7.5 lakh for those who are killed by terrorists. The Home Ministry is also working on a plan to provide group insurance to all the seven paramilitary organisations, where ex-gratia payment would be given.
