Hardship allowance hiked for CAPFs in sensitive areas

The Centre has increased risk and hardship allowance for Central Armed Police Force deployed in sensitive and high-altitude areas like Jammu and Kashmir and Left-Wing Extremism-affected areas. The move follows the Pulwama attack that killed left 40 CRPF jawans dead.

As per the new rule, the officers in the forces will be entitled to Rs 25,000 and other ranks Rs 17,300 per month. Earlier, the amount was Rs 16,900 for officers and Rs 9,700 for other ranks.

The government had formed a panel in 2017 to revise the risk and hardship allowances of CAPFs. It approved the new figures on Friday.

The panel has now included terror hotbeds like Budgam, Pulwama, Anantnag, Baramullah and Kupwara in Kashmir in the list. The sensitive areas also include Kulgam, Shopian, Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban and Udhampur.

The government has issued a 22-page notification classifying areas that are sensitive. It has included various districts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and few others.

Two boost the morale of the forces and to provide adequate logistic support post the Pulwama attack, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday allowed air travel for the jawans on the Delhi-Srinagar, Srinagar-Delhi, Jammu-Srinagar and Srinagar-Jammu routes.

"The decision will immediately benefit approximately 7,80,000 personnel of CAPFs in the ranks of Constable, Head Constable and ASI who were otherwise not eligible earlier. This includes journey on duty and journey on leave, i.e while going on leave from J&K to home and return," MHA said.

The order further stated, "This facility is in addition to the existing air courier services for CAPFs that have been steadily extended in all sectors by the MHA to help the jawans cut down on travel time during their journey to and fro from home on leave."

Air courier service for CAPFs jawans was first cleared for the Jammu-Srinagar-Jammu sector. This was then extended to cover Delhi-Jammu, Jammu-Srinagar, Srinagar-Jammu and Jammu-Delhi sector in December 2017.

This apart, MHA said, air support is provided from Indian Air Force as and when required.