LAHORE, May 2 Contrary to a summary moved by Punjab police authorities for an increase in the basic running salary of the force, the provincial government on Saturday notified risk allowance equal to one month initial basic pay of any official.

However, officials will get a fixed daily allowance for 20 days of each month.

The increase has been notified in the initial basic salary contrary to a departmental recommendation submitted to the government three weeks ago for an increase on running basic salary.

A police source told Dawn a special allowance of Rs2,000 given to constables and head constables by former chief minister Pervaiz Elahi and other extra allowances were likely to be abolished. He said a constable, who will be getting a Rs3,340 increase in his salary, is being deprived of Rs2,000 allowance. This means he would get only Rs1,340 in addition to a Rs3,100 fixed duty allowance per month. He said the decision to announce increase in the initial basic pay disappointed low-ranking policemen who were expecting a considerable raise.

According to point-to-point pay scales of government employees from July 1, a police constable (BS-5) will get a Rs3,340 raise as per his initial pay scale and a BS-21 officer Rs25,880.

A police head constable, who has 17-year service and got promotion in 2005, said an increase in the running basic salary would have made a difference for him. “The raise on basic pay means all officials of a particular rank will get a fixed amount irrespective of their increments in that scale and length of their service,” he said.

Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, however, says the increase in police salary was finalised by a committee presided over by him and that police authorities did not send any summary or recommendations to the government. “How can police give suggestions to the government, as it is the government's discretion to decide such things,” he said.

He said even after deduction of Rs2,000 special allowance and other allowances, constables would get Rs7,000 to Rs8,000 raise, as their ration allowance had been increased from Rs300 to Rs1,000 and fixed daily allowance to Rs3,000. He said special allowances to SHOs (Rs15,000) and DSPs (30,000) were being abolished.

According to the notification, City Traffic Police and Punjab Highway Patrol Police have been exempted from the raise, which would be applicable from April 1.

The notification says a special allowance currently admissible to Elite Police Force and Crimes Investigation Department, which is 40 per cent of basic salary of any official, has been abolished forthwith.

The notification says the new package will not be admissible to suspended officials, officials made OSD on charge of inefficiency, misconduct or indiscipline and officials on leave beyond four months, extra ordinary leave, study leave or training abroad.