Boosting morale: CTD proposes raise in high-risk allowance for personnel

It aims to motivate staff to work efficiently and diligently by offering incentives

KARACHI: In a bid to enhance the effectiveness of counter-terrorism efforts in the province, the Sindh police's Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has prepared a proposal for incentives for its officials and personnel.

The proposal was prepared by newly appointed CTD DIG Amir Farooqui and was first moved to the CTD AIG to forward it to the relevant authorities, such as the provincial finance department, for approval.

Keeping in view the multidimensional challenges of terrorism, CTD personnel also run the risk of being killed in the line of duty and round the clock duties for better public service delivery and to keep the government initiative on track. This dedication towards duty on the part of the staff merits appreciation in the form of incentives.



According to a copy of the proposal prepared by Farooqui obtained by The Express Tribune, it is proposed that the 25% risk allowance and 20% special allowance to CTD personnel be done away with. "The new proposal of an incentive [CTD high risk allowance] for personnel [executive and ministerial staff] along with 20% special pay on the current running basic pay scale of 2016 instead of the 2011 pay scale has been submitted for consideration and granted on a monthly basis for the dedication of on duty CTD personnel and retirees from CTD, Sindh," reads the proposal.

"In this perspective, it is requested that the proposal of the incentive be moved to competent authority for approval."

The proposal further reads that the previous sanctioned 65% CID allowance, 20% special pay, 25% risk allowance and 20% special allowance of the basic pay to the officers and officials of the CID should be discontinued.



These amounts were frozen multiple times, which is why the proposal suggests doing away with them entirely. The provincial finance department issued an order, dated December 26, 2014, stating that Sindh police personnel were allowed risk allowance, ration allowance, constabulary allowance and fixed daily allowance but the order was not applicable to non-field officers and officials of specialised units of the Sindh police, such as Special Security Unit, CID and Bomb Disposal Squad.

In 2014, high-risk allowance was promised by the authorities to 2,286 police officers working at 16 of the most sensitive police stations in the city, including SITE A area police station, Pak Colony police station, Orangi Town police station, Pirabad, police station and Pakistan Bazaar police station. However, despite being given the green light by the relevant departments, the allowance hasn't been handed over to the police. So far the officials and personnel of the Special Security Unit, which works primarily on the federal level, are only enjoying high risk allowance from Rs10,000 to 90,000.