The Karnataka government on Tuesday partially accepted the terms set in the Raghavendra Auradkar Committee report, which recommended pay hikes and promotions for police staff.
In 2016, a committee headed by Raghavendra Auradkar, the then ADGP (Recruitment and Training), had recommended a hike in salary for police personnel. The report was prepared after police officials threatened to go on strike over lack of pay.
The full report was not accepted by the state government, with personnel of the ranks of Police Sub-Inspector (PSI), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) and Class V employees being excluded from the government order issued on Tuesday.
The state government also stopped short of recommending an increase in salary of 30% as recommended by the report, and instead approved an increase of 12.5%.
The lower rung of the police force, particularly constables and head constables, will be boosted as the wage hikes for these categories were as per the recommendations of the report.
The committee compared pay scales of police officials in 10 states - Punjab, Kerala, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal - and found that Karnataka ranked 8th. It recommended a 30% hike in basic pay and liberal increase in the perks for non-IPS personnel.
The report also recommended that police officials be given allowances for fitness and uniform and a risk allowance of Rs. 2,500 for continuous duty extending beyond two days.
The increase in salaries, when implemented, will increase the burden on the state exchequer with an additional Rs 630 crore every year and the hike will come into effect from August 1.