Officers get a raise, but lower staff overlooked

Chief of police promises to set the oversight right, will send request for more increments.

KARACHI: Even though the rather demoralised police force was given a pick-me-up in the form of pay raises on Monday night, it appears that those on the bottom rung have been left out.

Over 2,500 personnel, who work as clerks, telephone operators, gardeners, barbers, cleaners, electricians and plumbers for the Sindh police, will not benefit from the Sindh government’s announcement.

Kamran, who does not want to reveal his last name in case he gets into trouble with his superiors, says that despite working as a senior clerk for 20 years, his salary is below Rs19,000. “Don’t we have little children too?” he asked dejectedly.

Technically, Kamran’s pay scale is the same as an assistant sub-inspector, and he cannot understand why he has been ignored. He isn’t the only one; the other clerks are disappointed too. “I work as a junior clerk and my pay scale is the same as a head constable, however it appears that no one cares for us,” says Farooq. Gardener Gul Khan has been in service for over 15 years and claims he earns about Rs7,000. “I do my duty with as much dedication as a police chief. I too, should have been given a pay raise.”

Additional Inspector General Saud Mirza accepted the fact that his lower staff will not be getting an increment like himself, but was ready to rectify the oversight and promised to notify the government. “I think there’s been a miss,” he acknowledged. “We will send a request to the right quarters and get this issue resolved soon.”

The police chief said the increase in salaries has been long overdue and has come after three years of the force demanding raises.

According to the government’s notification, Sindh Inspector General Police Wajid Durrani and Saud Mirza will get an increase of Rs20,000 apiece. The deputy inspectors general and senior superintendents of police will each get an increase of Rs16,500, superintendents of police and deputy superintendents of police Rs 12,800, inspectors and sub-inspectors Rs7,300, and assistant sub-inspectors, head constables and constables Rs4,400.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th,  2011.