The perceived disparity between the Indian Police Service and other All India services, particularly the Indian Administrative Service, in the Pay Commission recommendations has found an echo at the highest levels of the Government.
A detailed presentation made by top IPS officers has pointed out that the IPS is no longer a Group A service by the looks of it. And the Sixth Central Pay Commission recommendations will create further stagnation at the middle level of the service that is at the forefront of the battle to tackle threats to internal security, they have claimed.
The message has been conveyed to the highest levels, including the Prime Minister's Office, the Union Home Ministry and the Department of Personnel and Training.
As per the proposed pay scales, an IPS officer will earn nearly Rs 65 lakh lesser than an IAS counterpart after 30 years of service, the presentation has argued.
The presentation has made the following points as well: An IAS officer will reach Joint Secretary scale at the Centre in 14 years; his IPS counterpart will reach the corresponding Inspector General level almost six years later; a Director General of Police in a state will need at least five to six years of residual service to reach the maximum scale of Rs 71,270. Moreover, not only has the "anomalous" post of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) not been abolished, officers at this level will actually earn less than earlier - they have been put in the Rs 15,600 scale from the existing Rs 16,400.
Grade Pay is another anomaly that has been brought to the notice of the Government. In a district, the Superintendent of Police (SP) will be at a disadvantage not just in comparison to the District Magistrate but even the Additional District Magistrate in many cases, IPS officers point out.
The IPS group's disenchantment with the Pay Commission report does not end here. "Internal security is such a grave matter but it finds mention only three or four times in the report," a senior officer pointed out.
