CRPF stops allowances to officers who were on leave and later couldn't join duty due to lockdown

Central Reserve Police Force officers deployed in conflict zones like Jammu and Kashmir and Maoist affected areas, who were on leave and later unable to join duty due to the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown in the country will not receive the risk and hardship allowances and transport allowance in the paramilitary force.

The CRPF has asked all its units to provide data regarding these officers in the prescribed format.

An order issued this week has asked the units to intimate this directive to all officers. According to sources, CRPF has also planned to help such officers in reaching their units and is working on Standard Operating Procedures.

"Stoppage of various allowances (viz. Risk and Hardship allowance, Transport Allowance and SDA etc.) in respect of officers who are on leave/absent from duty in a calendar month, leave stretching to more than 30 days as the case may be," the order said.

"Request intimate details of officers who are drawing above allowances and proceeded on leave but could not resume duty due to lockdown in the country in the wake of COVID-19 in the following format so as to stop their various Allowances in regular pay," the CRPF order added.

Commenting on the effect of the directive issued by the paramilitary force, a senior CRPF officer said, "those who had taken leave and couldn't join their units due to lockdown will receive less salary. Hardship allowances depend on the level of hardship divided in three categories low, medium and high. It starts from Rs 1,000 and one can get 25,000 Rs per month as hardship allowances. Similarly, Transport allowance ranges between Rs 1,350 and 7,200."

( With inputs from ANI )