Salary issue is pending with government, says CRPF chief Durga Prasad.
As a new
video emerged of a CRPF constable, Jeet Singh, complaining about lack of facilities and poor salaries, the head of the paramilitary force, K Durga Prasad, told NDTV that many of these issues have been raised with the government, though he did not approve of jawans using social media to air their problems.
"What they are now asking is the same thing which we have also presented before the 7th Pay Commission and other fora," Mr Prasad said. "Not just CRPF but all the other DGs of the forces. We have raised this issue because this is a demand from the forces. The matter is before the government," Mr Prasad said.
In the YouTube video that's going viral, Jeet Singh had posted a message to the PM. "Government school teachers are paid more than us... and we get no holidays or benefits," he is heard saying.
"Basically his contention is that I am doing the same job as the army jawan is doing. I am also facing the same threat, I am also having the same inconvenience so I should also get something similar to him," the CRPF chief said.
He pointed out that it was "a question of comparison with another force and not simply something that was promised to him at the time of joining the forces and (him) not getting it".
Spelling out the demands already made before the government, Mr Prasad said the 7th Pay Commission had not granted CRPF a salary similar to the army. The question of reintroduction of pension is still before the government.
There was also the question of parity in perks, like travel allowances and tickets.
"You know, when you go on leave you get one time you travel. Return journey also you get ticket. The second time when you go you get only one way," he said. The CRPF, he said, had wanted the return journey also. "They (the concessions) look very small, but for the forces they matter a lot because it gives us aspirations. It is more of a feeling of getting what they wanted. So, many of them have been addressed and some are yet to be addressed. "
Mr Prasad, however, did not approve of the use of social media by jawans. "Taking recourse to social media is not the healthiest trend and healthiest way of doing things," he said.