The Hindu : Transfer proves costly to head constables

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 19, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Transfer proves costly to head constables

By S. Vijay Kumar

MADURAI, FEB. 18. Discontent is brewing among a section of police personnel over alleged irregularities in pay fixation and undue stoppage of increments. The aggrieved policemen, mostly in the rank of head constable, are also facing a threat of huge salary cuts with retrospective effect.

According to police sources, hundreds of `havildars' serving in Tamil Nadu Special Police (TSP) Battalions got transferred to armed reserve units during 1993. The transfer was subject to their forgoing seniority (head constable) and joining at the entry level (Grade II police constable). However, it was assured that the `last pay drawn' would be protected.

But after a decade, the Accountant-General pointed out that there was no provision to protect the `last pay drawn' in such transfer cases. Subsequently, the Government, in its order No. 72485/Pol.IX/Home 03-5 and II (1)/23651/2003 dated December 30, 2002, directed that the excess salary drawn by all head constables (an average of Rs. 75,000 per head) be recovered with effect from 1993.

``We sought a transfer only after having been assured that the `last drawn pay' would be protected. Now, after 10 years, the Government suddenly says the police have to forgo seniority and salary for a transfer within the force which is unjust. The intention to leave the TSP was for better professional exposure. The option of returning is possible only up to five years of the transfer,'' says a head constable attached to the Madurai city police.

Ironically, the salary structure for these 1,500 head constables attached to different districts and Commissionerates is not uniform. For instance, there is a difference of more than Rs. 2,000 in the salaries of a head constable in Madurai and his counterpart in Theni district though their dates of appointment, transfer and promotion are the same, the sources say.

``When our batchmates in the TSP are on the verge of becoming assistant commandants, we are still in the rank of head constable. Police constables who joined recently and were trained by us are now drawing more salary,'' claims another head constable. He said Rs. 80,000 was deducted from the terminal benefits of a head constable, K. Raju, attached to the Karimedu station in Madurai, who died recently.

After repeated representations to the Chief Minister and the Director-General of Police, a few affected policemen have moved the Madras High Court.

Despite a memorandum of the DGP, vide 133827/PA II (1)/82, clarifying that the `last pay drawn' should be protected, the officials maintain that pay scale fixation, increments and recovery, which has been effected in some districts, were done in accordance with the rules.

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