Port Blair, Jan 29: The PCC President Kuldeep Rai Sharma today met the Union Home Minister Mr. Sushil Kumar Shinde at New Delhi and submitted various issues pertaining to AN Islands for his immediate consideration. One
of the issues he has submitted was Payment of compensatory pay to A & N Police Fire Service Personnel.
He has submitted that Ministry of Home Affairs vide letter no. U-14026/1/2012/ANL dated 15/04/2013 conveyed to the A & N
Administration that the payment of Compensatory Pay to Fire Service staff without getting approval of MHA is a serious lapse on the part of the Administration and advised to stop Compensatory Pay to Fire Service personnel immediately. Accordingly, the A & N Administration intimated the Ministry of Home Affairs vide DO letter No. 36-2/2012-Home (PF) dated 15/05/2013 that no further Compensatory Pay will be paid to Fire Service personnel of A & N Police Fire Service till MHA concurs the drawal of the above benefit and the payment of compensatory pay to the Fire Service personnel henceforth has been stopped.
In this context Kuldeep has submitted that from the records available it transpires that from very beginning the A & N Police Fire Service is an integral part of the A & N Police Department of the A & N Administration and all of its employees are appointed at par with the A & N Police personnel. They are also governed by the rules and regulations as contained in A & N Police Manual, 1963 and they are also performing round the clock duty including on holidays like other police personnel. Kuldeep has further submitted that as per Rule 1.5 of the A & N Police Manual, 1963 the technical and non-technical units viz Civil Police, Armed Police, Special Armed Police, Criminal Investigation Department, Police Training School ,Police Band, Police Radio Organization (Technical),Fire Brigade (Police Fire Service)-(Technical),Coast Guard Service (Police Marine Force)-(Technical), Police Motor Transport are integral part of A & N Police Department of A & N Administration and all non-gazetted Police personnel of these units are being paid one month Compensatory Pay as per GOI, MHA’s letter cited above.
As such, all non-gazetted Fire personnel of A & N Police Fire Service are being paid one month Compensatory Pay at par with the Police personnel of other units of the A & N Police Department since 1979 as sanctioned to the different categories of Police personnel working in Police Department of A & N Administration ” in view of the long hours of work and denial of facility for enjoying all the holidays and weekly off days or a compensatory off in lieu thereof to the no-gazetted personnel” vide GOI, MHA letter No. U-14026/6/79-ANL dated 09/08/1979 .
It is pertinent to mention here that the matter regarding payment of compensatory pay to the Fire Service personnel working under A & N Administration was taken up by the Ministry of Home Affairs vide their letter No. 8/49/82-AP dated 09/10/1986 and in response the A & N Administration vide letter No. 2-16/79-Home dated 28/11/1986 had categorically informed the Ministry that the non-gazetted Fire Service personnel of this Union Territory are being given Compensatory Pay and the same continued without any interruption.
Kuldeep has also submitted that as on date there are 21 Fire Stations are functioning under the A & N Police Fire Service unit in different Islands with the sanctioned strength of 625 employees (all non-gazetted Fire Service personnel) and withdrawal of the compensatory pay will not only demoralize the cadre but will create disparity within the various category of A & N Police Personnel governed by the A & N Police Manual 1963 . He has also submitted that as per his information, the Delhi Fire Service also pay Compensatory Pay to its non-gazetted Fire Service Personnel.
Hence, in view of the above given explanations Kuldeep has requested the Home Minister to kindly consider the case of Fire Service Personnel sympathetically and favourably so that they continue to receive compensatory pay as permitted vide Ministry of Home Affairs letter No. U-14026/6/79-ANL dated 09/08/1979. The Home Minister has kindly given a patient hearing and assured to look into the case.
