Voluntary retirement and resignation by officers and personnel of CPMF including CRPF and CRPF does not fall under the Organized Group-A Service (OGAS)

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF  HOME AFFAIRS

RAJYA SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-2694

ANSWERED ON-19.02.2014

2694 . SHRIMATI KUSUM RAI, ARVIND KUMAR SINGH, PRABHAT JHA

(a) whether there has been a 30 per cent increase in resignations by officers of Para- Military forces such as CRPF, BSF, CISF and ITBP in 2013 in comparison to 2012;

(b) if so, the Para-Military force-wise details thereof and the reasons for the same;

(c) whether around 8500 jawans have also left Para-Military forces during 2013, excluding SSB and Assam Rifles;

(d) if so, the force-wise details thereof; and

(e) the details of steps Government would take to check high rate of attrition among officers and jawans of Para-Military forces?

(a) & (b): No, Sir. The details regarding the number of officers of CRPF, BSF, ITBP and CISF who have resigned during the year 2012 and 2013 are as under :-

The percentage increase in the number of officers of CRPF, BSF, ITBP & CISF who have resigned in the year 2013 in comparison to the year 2012 is 8.53% only. Further, the officers who have resigned in the year 2013 is only 0.67% of the sanctioned strength of the officers in the aforesaid 4 Forces. These officers resigned mainly due to various personal and domestic reasons including children/family issues, health/illness of self or family, social/family obligations and commitments etc. 

(c) & (d): As per inputs, the details regarding the number of jawans of CRPF, BSF, ITBP and CISF who proceeded on voluntary retirement or resigned from the service in the year 2013 are as under :-

The attrition of jawans of CRPF, BSF, ITBP & CISF on account of voluntary retirement and resignation from the service during 2013 is 1.34% only of the total sanctioned strength of the Jawans in these 4 Forces, which cannot be considered to be high.

(e): To further improve the working conditions, including health facilities, for the Force personnel, the Government has taken/implemented various measures like:-

(i) Implementing a transparent, rational and fair leave policy;

(ii) Liberal grant of leave to the force personnel to attend to their urgent domestic problems/issues/needs; 

(iii) Regular interaction, both formal and informal, among Commanders, officers and troops to find out and address their problems;

(iv) Revamping of grievances’ redressal machinery;

(v) Regulating duty hours to ensure adequate rest and relief; 

(vi) Improving living conditions through provision of basic amenities/ facilities for troops and their families;

(vii) Motivating the forces through increased risk, hardship and other allowances;

(viii) Provision of STD telephone facilities to the troops to facilitate being in touch with their family members and to reduce tension in the remote locations;

(ix) Better medical facilities for troops and their families including introduction of Composite Hospitals with specialized facilities;

(x) Organising talks by doctors and other specialists to address their personal and psychological concerns; 

(xi) Yoga and meditation classes for better stress management;

(xii) Recreational and sports facilities and provision of team games and sports etc;

(xiii) Providing welfare measures like Central Police canteen facility to the troops and their families, scholarships to their wards, etc;

(xiv) Giving status of ex-CAPF personnel to the retired personnel of CAPF, which is expected to boost the morale of the existing CAPFs personnel and also expected to provide better identity, community recognition and thus higher esteem and pride in the society to the Ex-CAPF personnel.

(xv) The air courier service facility has been extended to CAPF personnel deployed in remote areas of North East and Jammu & Kashmir region including Leh as a welfare measure.

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ANSWERED ON-19.02.2014

374 . DR. CHANDAN MITRA

(a) whether it is a fact that about 16,665 officers and personnel of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have availed voluntary retirement or resigned from service during the last four years;

(b) if so, the reasons for such a large scale exodus of personnel from CRPF;

(c) whether there is any transparent grievance redressal mechanism and specific promotional avenues in CRPF, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and

(d) the steps taken by Government to grant CRPF the status of organized service and provide for professional career management including related benefits like non-functional upgradation?

(b): The total number of CRPF officers/personnel who proceeded on voluntary retirement or resigned from service during the last four years are only 16843, which is about 1.41% of the existing total Force strength per year. It may also be seen that the number of officers/personnel of CRPF who have taken voluntary retirement or resigned from the service declined during the year 2013 as compared to 2012. The CRPF officers/personnel proceeded on voluntary retirement or resigned mainly due to their personal and domestic reasons, including children/family issues, health/illness of self or family, social/family obligations and other commitments etc. Some personnel sought voluntary retirement to enjoy a static life by availing pensionary benefits after completing 20 years of regular service.

(c): To address the personal as well as official problems and grievances of the Force personnel, the CRPF already have a proper grievance redressal mechanism in place at all levels viz Unit/ Battalion, Group Centre, Range, Sector & Directorate level.

On receipt of the grievance from the serving/retired personnel or from their spouse or from NOKs of the deceased personnel regarding maintenance of family, non receipt of pension/family pension, and other terminal dues etc., the same is forwarded to all concerned offices i.e. Sector, Range, Group Centre and unit with the instructions to settle their grievances within 30 days. The applicant is also apprised with the factual position/ status with reference to his/her grievance within the stipulated time.

Further, the Force Headquarters also take care of the personal grievances of the officials regarding their promotions/transfers and other related service matters through personal audiences, representations/ petitions etc.

Promotional avenues are available in the Force for the personnel at different levels as per the Recruitment Rules for the respective ranks. The cases of eligible personnel are placed before the Departmental Promotion Committees. Some time, even those personnel are also considered for promotion who fall short of the eligibility conditions of residency etc. by granting them relaxation in the residency period and other eligibility conditions to fill up the vacancies. Further, the Govt. has also extended fast track promotion from the post of Inspector to Assistant Commandant through Limited Departmental Competitive Examination-Assistant Commandant. Time bound financial upgradation of Senior Time Scale is granted to Assistant Commandants after completion of 4 years of service and to Medical officers up to IG(Medical) rank under Dynamic Assured Career Progression Scheme. All service benefits/promotional avenues and Modified Assured Career Progression Scheme are extended to the Force personnel as per the existing norms.

(d): CRPF does not fall under the Organized Group-A Service (OGAS) category as it does not fulfill the requisite criteria/conditions of the OGAS prescribed by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). Also, it is a conscious decision of the Government not to grant them status of Organised Group A Service due to command and control issues in the Force. The Force personnel are, instead, given benefits of MACP as per the recommendation of 6th Central Pay Commission. Further, other financial benefits in the form of a number of allowances are also given to the Force personnel as per their eligibility/entitlement/place of posting.

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Source: Rajya Sabha Q&A