Facing the brunt of terrorism and insurgency in several states, paramilitary forces Central Reserve Police Force and Border Security Force have sought grant of separate hardship and counter- insurgency allowances for their personnel to compensate the risk factor.
The demands were among a host of proposals submitted by the forces, engaged in counter-insurgency operations in the
North-East, Jammu and Kashmir and Naxal-hit states, before the Sixth Pay Commission.
The suggestions, aimed at attaining parity with the Army, include increase of disability pension for injured personnel, hike in percentage of family pension paid to widows and change in pension rules.
In its presentation, BSF has sought hardship allowance amounting to 40 percent of the basic pay to personnel posted
in 'extreme hard areas' like J&K and 35 and 30 percent respectively for those deployed in very hard and hard areas.
The Force says its men posted in border areas face all sorts of hardships like 'isolation, natural hazards, limited facilities and adverse climatic conditions'. It views the north-east as a 'very hard area' and the western frontier as 'hard'.
Significantly, an internal survey conducted by the BSF has found that satisfaction levels among its personnel posted in border areas with regard to accommodation and working hours is just 12.5 percent.
Similar demand has also been made by the CRPF, which wants 10 percent of the basic pay as hardship allowance to
its personnel deployed in J and K and Chhattisgarh, which will in effect cover 86 percent of the Force.
It has also sought a hike in compensation package for its personnel dying in action to Rs 30 lakh from the present Rs 7.5 lakh besides increase in the pay-scale and provision of a pension scheme for them.
Both the forces were of the view that inclusion of its personnel who have joined the service on or after January 1, 2004 in the new contributory pension scheme launched by the government was unfair.
These personnel are deployed in high-risk areas and their pension in case of death amounts to almost nothing as they hardly have two years service, they said and demanded that all personnel should be covered under the Pension Rules, 1972.
BSF also demanded payment of 35 percent of the basic pay as counter-insurgency allowance to personnel engaged in
anti-terror operations and 20 percent of the basic pay as internal security duty allowance whenever they are called for
performing tasks like election duty.
Other demands of BSF include increase of family pension to widows from 60 percent to 75 percent, 50 percent
from the present 30 percent to fully disabled personnel, treatment of border areas as 'A' class regions.
It seeks increase in pay scale by four times, restoration of the ranks of Lance Naiks and Naiks and separate pay scale for the rank of Additional Director General, who at present carries the same scale of feeder post commandant.
CRPF sought increase in various allowances like those given to gallantry medal winners while BSF wants restoration
of ration money during leave periods and their exemption from the purview of income tax.
© 2025