IPS-CAPF tussle: MHA considers service rule relaxation for pay upgrade for CAPF officers

The ministry hopes this will break the impasse over implementation of Non-Functional Financial Upgradation (NFFU) of CAPF officers and save the government from facing contempt proceedings in Supreme Court.

With the tussle between IPS and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) officers over grant of better pay to the latter threatening to precipitate into an ugly battle, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is considering a proposal that will momentarily grant relief to CAPF officers by partially acceding to their demands, it is learnt.

The ministry hopes this will break the impasse over implementation of Non-Functional Financial Upgradation (NFFU) of CAPF officers and save the government from facing contempt proceedings in Supreme Court.

The apex court had granted the benefit to CAPF officers and fixed September 30 as deadline for its implementation.

Sources said the MHA has been given a proposal that to grant NFFU to all eligible officers, the ministry must make a one-time relaxation of recruitment rules. This should be done in order to ensure a majority of officers, who genuinely deserve NFFU given their seniority, are not left out because of old recruitment rules that do not befit an organised Group A service.

It has also been proposed that fresh service rules be framed, and which must come into force within a year.

On September 5, Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla had held a meeting with senior officers of CAPF cadre from BSF, CRPF, ITBP, SSB and CISF. This was the first time CAPF cadres were being given an audience by the Home Secretary.

The MHA Additional Secretary and Joint Secretary of Police Division, which looks after matters of paramilitary forces, were also present in the meeting.

In the meeting, Bhalla, it is learnt, had taken a serious view of the tussle between IPS officers and cadre officers over NFFU. “The Home Secretary showed his concern regarding officers’ comments on social media regarding non-implementation of NFU OGAS (organised Group A service status). He stressed that the MHA is serious about its implementation,” an official said.

Bhalla, sources said, promised that any decision would be taken only after considering all points of view. Bhalla is chairing the screening committee that will finalise the proposal for implementation of NFFU and present to the top court.

Bhalla took stock of the progress made on this front and accepted proposals that till pending amendment of Service Rules, a one-time relaxation for implementation of NFU is necessary. The proposal also suggested that “OGAS/NFFU should be implemented in same manner as implemented/extended to other Organized Group ‘A’ Services.”

The proposal argues that no benefit would accrue to officers on the basis of existing recruitment rules as directed by the MHA.

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