Central police bodies to get pension benefits
The Central Police Organisations (CPOs) may be in for a major relief with the Union cabinet expected to exempt them from the purview of the new contributory pension scheme, thus bringing the CPOs on par with the Army in terms of pensionary benefits.
By Bharti Jain, TNN |
NEW DELHI: The Central Police Organisations (CPOs) may be in for a major relief with the Union cabinet expected to exempt them from the purview of the new contributory pension scheme, thus bringing the CPOs on par with the Army in terms of pensionary benefits.
The proposal, which will be taken up by the Union Cabinet on Thursday, is the outcome of the MHA’s continuous lobbying with the finance ministry for continuance of pensionary benefits to all CPOs as in the case of the armed forces given that the two were performing similar duties in as difficult conditions and circumstances.
As the Central para-military forces — BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, SSB, RAF and Assam Rifles — are governed by CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972, all new entrants as of now are covered by the new pension system (NPS) which came into effect from January 1, 2004.
The NPS, which replaced the earlier pension scheme vide notification dated December 22, 2003 and provides for contributory pension, applies to all Central government services personnel, except those in the Armed Forces, who have joined on or after January 1, 2004.
The decision to keep the Armed Forces out of the purview of the new pension scheme while denying similar pensionary benefits to the CPOs, which are crucial to guarding borders and maintenance of public order, had both the home ministry as well as CPOs up in arms. The MHA, which is the controlling ministry of the CPOs, has since been taking up the issue of parity in pensionary benefits for para-military personnel with the finance ministry.
The argument given by the MHA is that the CPOs play an important role in maintenance of law and order as well as guarding of international borders during peace time. In fact, almost 70% of the CPOs are engaged in guarding the borders with neighbours like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, China, Bhutan and Myanmar.
The CPOs not only aid the state police in maintaining public order and dealing with problems like terrorism, Naxalism and insurgency, but also undertake static security duties during assembly and parliamentary polls.
In fact, the then Union home secretary had submitted before the department-related parliamentary standing committee on home affairs in 2006 that it was the MHA’s firm view that all the para-military forces must have the same pension benefits as the Armed Forces because a large percentage were guarding borders in treacherous conditions and were the first point of intervention. The committee, in its 119th report, subsequently recommended that CPOs should get pension as applicable to Army personnel.
“The committee is at a loss to understand as to why the ministry of finance is not acceding to the request of the MHA for continuing the same pensionary benefits to CPOs as is applicable to the Army personnel. The duties performed by most of the CPOs’ personnel are, more or less, similar to that of the Army. The Committee, therefore, endorses the proposal of the MHA for continuance of the pensionary benefits to the personnel of CPOs as in case of the Army personnel,” the standing committee had stated in its report.
The proposal, which will be taken up by the Union Cabinet on Thursday, is the outcome of the MHA’s continuous lobbying with the finance ministry for continuance of pensionary benefits to all CPOs as in the case of the armed forces given that the two were performing similar duties in as difficult conditions and circumstances.
As the Central para-military forces — BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, SSB, RAF and Assam Rifles — are governed by CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972, all new entrants as of now are covered by the new pension system (NPS) which came into effect from January 1, 2004.
The NPS, which replaced the earlier pension scheme vide notification dated December 22, 2003 and provides for contributory pension, applies to all Central government services personnel, except those in the Armed Forces, who have joined on or after January 1, 2004.
The decision to keep the Armed Forces out of the purview of the new pension scheme while denying similar pensionary benefits to the CPOs, which are crucial to guarding borders and maintenance of public order, had both the home ministry as well as CPOs up in arms. The MHA, which is the controlling ministry of the CPOs, has since been taking up the issue of parity in pensionary benefits for para-military personnel with the finance ministry.
The argument given by the MHA is that the CPOs play an important role in maintenance of law and order as well as guarding of international borders during peace time. In fact, almost 70% of the CPOs are engaged in guarding the borders with neighbours like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, China, Bhutan and Myanmar.
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The CPOs not only aid the state police in maintaining public order and dealing with problems like terrorism, Naxalism and insurgency, but also undertake static security duties during assembly and parliamentary polls.
In fact, the then Union home secretary had submitted before the department-related parliamentary standing committee on home affairs in 2006 that it was the MHA’s firm view that all the para-military forces must have the same pension benefits as the Armed Forces because a large percentage were guarding borders in treacherous conditions and were the first point of intervention. The committee, in its 119th report, subsequently recommended that CPOs should get pension as applicable to Army personnel.
“The committee is at a loss to understand as to why the ministry of finance is not acceding to the request of the MHA for continuing the same pensionary benefits to CPOs as is applicable to the Army personnel. The duties performed by most of the CPOs’ personnel are, more or less, similar to that of the Army. The Committee, therefore, endorses the proposal of the MHA for continuance of the pensionary benefits to the personnel of CPOs as in case of the Army personnel,” the standing committee had stated in its report.
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