Mehbooba Mufti wants J&K police's 'hardship allowance' at par with paramilitary personnel

New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has urged Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to enhance the “hardship allowance” for the state police force by bringing it on par with that of central paramilitary forces. [caption id=“attachment_2842156” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] She pointed out the Jammu and Kashmir police was at the forefront of the battle against militancy in the state and was the first respondent to all emergencies, state officials, who did not wish to be quoted, said. They said Mehbooba, during her meeting with Singh in New Delhi on Saturday, stressed that not only was the life of the local policemen at a greater risk because of militancy, their families, too, had been targeted in the recent past. The chief minister said local policemen faced threats even after retirement, the officials said. At present, state police personnel get 10 percent of their basic pay as a hardship allowance — given to sections of people working in difficult conditions — whereas paramilitary forces get 40 percent of their basic pay. The Jammu and Kashmir Police Headquarters has also begun the process of consolidating the grievances of police personnel about pay and pay bands and is forwarding them with recommendations to the state home department. In response to a letter written by the police headquarters on the grievances of the personnel, the home department has communicated that these may be consolidated and forwarded to the state’s principal secretary, who is a member of the pay committee constituted by the government for the purpose, a police spokesman said.