NEW DELHI: The Centre’s recent move to withdraw at least four incentives and special allowances to All India Service (AIS) officers posted in the northeastern states flies in the face of its own decision to amend deputation rules and grant special concessions for officials in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a September 23 notification to chief secretaries of all northeastern states, the Department of Personnel and Training withdrew four letters and office memoranda to effectively discontinue as many incentives and special allowances that AIS officers – from the IAS, IPS and others – enjoy during their assignments there.
However, in a September 9 order, the DoPT “relaxed” deputation rules to “encourage IAS and other All India Service officers as well as officers of Central Services to get posted in Jammu and Kashmir”. This step was taken to “address the shortage of officers in the newly created UT of Jammu and Kashmir. Besides, J&K Administrative Services officers are to be inducted in the IAS.
The Centre also took initiatives such as granting special concessions and incentives to central government employees working the Kashmir Valley. The withdrawal of a February 2, 2009, office memorandum (OM), which granted additional monetary incentives to AIS officers belonging to the northeastern cadres, will now do away with as much as 37.5 percent (25 percent extra salary and 12.5 percent special compensatory allowance) of the salary that an AIS officer gets in the northeast.
The other incentives included post retirement housing (in force since January 22, 2007), reimbursement of payable income tax for tribal AIS officers on deputation (since February 16, 2009) and inter-cadre deputation to/from the northeast cadres (effective since September 5, 2017) which ensured at least one tenure (of four years) to an officer’s home or any other state.
The Centre’s decision for the northeastern states was based on a report submitted by the Vineeta Rai committee which was mandated in August 2005 to “examine the issues pertaining to service conditions” of AIS officers serving in the region. AIS officers in the states had shared their submissions with the committee.
In their submission, AIS officers in Nagaland had termed the Centre’s steps – incentives and allowances – not only “inadequate” but the “insistence on applying All India norms and policies has not only aggravated the problems but are also grossly unfair and iniquitous to the officers”.
Pointing out that the Centre’s decision has “several implications”, a former Manipur DGP said that the situation in the insurgency “has become quite normal in Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura” but “not to the extent that these benefits should be withdrawn”. Besides, he said that the government’s order should be applicawble to all.
Move irks NE officers
The Centre’s decision for the northeastern states was based on a report submitted by the Vineeta Rai committee
According to officers in Nagaland, “insistence on applying All India norms and policies has not only aggravated the problems but are also grossly unfair and iniquitous to the officers”
In Kashmir valley, special concessions and incentives are also extended to Central employees