Agartala, Aug. 13: Disparities between the payscales and perquisites of the Tripura bureaucracy and the police top brass have sapped the morale of the khaki brigade, affecting the efficacy of counter-insurgency operations in the insurgency-ridden state.
The rivalry between officers of the Tripura Civil Service (TCS) and the Tripura Police Service (TPS) is primarily because grade-I civilian officers are paid salaries in the payscale of Rs 12,000-Rs 18,400, while their counterparts in the police get between Rs 11,150 and Rs 18,275.
“Even superintendents of police and commandants of battalions are drawing less than their counterparts in the TCS grade I, though their service entails greater hardship and risks. But what has worsened the discrimination is the widening gap during the course of service as TCS officers in the administration have influenced the government to grant greater facilities,” a source said.
“According to the latest order, TCS grade-I officers who are heads of departments will automatically draw their salaries under a payscale of Rs 14,150 to Rs 20,000. But they are lobbying for a higher payscale of Rs 18,000 to Rs 22,000, which they are likely to get very soon,” a source said.
Another source pointed out that even officials like subdivisional officers, executive engineers, doctors and even veterinary surgeons draw higher scales of pay than TPS grade-I officers.
“Unless these grievances are redressed soon, the resentment among police officers will work against the interests of the state,” a source said.
He blamed the TCS officers’ lobby for his claim that TPS officers continue to be deprived.
Taking advantage of their proximity to the centre of power, TCS officers — along with their counterparts in the forest service — have been accused of lobbying for higher payscales and better facilities. TPS officers, on the other hand, have been denied their legitimate dues, sources in the state police said.
“Not only this, TPS officers aspiring for promotion to grade I have been deprived. As the TPS grade-I strength will stagnate at 13, it will curtail promotional avenues to 113 grade-II officers,” another official said.
