Retired police personnel stage protest to highlight concerns

All J&K Retired Police Personnel Forum staging a demonstration at Hari Singh Park in Jammu on Tuesday. —Excelsior/Rakesh
All J&K Retired Police Personnel Forum staging a demonstration at Hari Singh Park in Jammu on Tuesday. —Excelsior/Rakesh

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 5: The Non-Gazetted Pensioners Welfare Forum, led by Ajit Singh, today staged a demonstration here at Hari Singh Park, Jammu, to highlight multiple grievances regarding pay and pension issues faced by the retired police personnel and J&K Fire Services employees.
The primary issue raised was the 2014 Government Order number 229-F, which aimed to address pay anomalies stemming from the implementation of the 5th pay commission in 1996. However, the benefits have only been applied prospectively, excluding many retirees who were eligible but have since passed away.
The Forum called on the Government to ensure these benefits reach all deserving pensioners.
Additionally, the Forum demanded that retired police personnel receive medical benefits on par with State employees, as J&K Police now falls under the Home Ministry.
They also requested a 10% reservation in professional courses and Government recruitment for the children of police personnel, as a means to support their families.
The Forum urged the Government to adopt court orders from other States, including Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana, to reduce the pension recovery period from 15 to 12 years.
Another concern was the processing of pension paperwork, with a call for streamlined procedures to ensure timely payments upon retirement.
There were also called for prompt salary disbursements for Special Police Officers (SPOs), who reportedly struggling financially due to delayed payments.
The Forum concluded by encouraging support for Manpreet Singh, a police officer who recently won a gold medal in Kazakhstan, and urged the Government to recognize his achievement.