Routine deployment of forces turns into embarrassment for Nagaland Police

•    Election duty DA cut incites NAP (IR)
•    Personnel stages ‘arms down’ protest 
•    Refuses to board train to Mizoram
•    Relents after partial DA enhancement

Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 30

What was supposed to be a routine requisition of the famed NAP (IR) to Mizoram has turned out to be an embarrassment for the Nagaland Police. On October 29, the 10th NAP (IR) and 11th NAP (IR) battalions went into remonstrative mode refusing to board the train that would have taken them to the election-bound northeastern state of Mizoram. 

As per official accounts, the two units were scheduled to board separate trains at the Shokhuvi railway station on Sunday night, but did not, in resentment against a recent cut in their “Daily Allowance” (DA). The said DA is a special monetary allowance generally doled-out to each personnel during election-related deployments or other contingencies outside the state. The amount varies rank-wise. 

It turned out that the state Finance Department had recently cut the DA, reducing it to less than a third of what they were previously getting— from Rs 1500 to Rs 450. The governmental action reportedly dawned on the personnel rather late, as they moved from their headquarters to the send off point. The resentment spread, tension simmered, which eventually translated into open protest at separate locations.

The 10th NAP (IR) protested at the Shokhuvi railway station, while the 11th at the NAPTC in Chümoukedima, which generally serves as a stopover point for outbound police units. 

Various sources aware of the development said that the personnel put down their service rifles and refused to budge unless their DA was reinstated to the preexisting amount. The stalemate had the 10th NAP (IR) moving back to their headquarters in Zhadima on Sunday night, while the 11th stayed put at the NAPTC. The latter’s headquarters is in Aboi. 

Conciliatory overtures made by the police headquarters did not have the desired effect. Senior officers dispatched by the PHQs the next day, Monday, were said to have been turned away, while a dialogue initiated by the DGP via video conferencing with the protesting personnel ended on a sour note. 

Later in the evening, it emerged that the higher-ups had decided to partially enhance the DA by Rs 300.  This reportedly toned down the resentment. According to one official source, subsequent to the enhancement, the 10th NAP (IR) moved out from camp to head to their boarding point at the Shokhuvi station. The status of the 11th NAP (IR) remained unclear but the source informed that they also were likely to take a positive call. 

Two companies of the 12th NAP (IR) had left for Mizoram before the episode developed. 

At the higher rungs of the Police Department as well as the Home Department, it was virtually ‘radio silence’. The DGP did not respond to request for comment on the matter, while the Home Commissioner did not respond to calls.

The cut DA
The decision to cut the DA, it turned out, was made in June, this year, by a Committee constituted in November 2022. The Committee’s job was to “examine issues relating to payment of 'Daily Allowances’ to Police Personnel during their deployment within and outside the state for Election Duty.”  

It was headed by the Additional Chief Secretary, Finance, as chairperson, with the DGP, Home Commissioner and other officials from the Finance and Police Departments as members. 

The Committee, at its last meeting on June 20, recommended reducing the DA to Rs 450 for constables up to sub inspectors from the preexisting Rs 1500. A copy of the Committee’s recommendations stated that reductions in proportion to the pay-scale were also made in the higher ranks. 

It also quoted the PHQs submitting a proposal for reviewing the DA (See table for a replication of the proposal).   

Meanwhile, it noted that the police personnel deployed for performing election duty were not entitled to DA as per the Nagaland Services (ROP) Rules, 2017. Nevertheless, considering what the Committee termed as “massive inconveniences and extra out of pocket” expenses incurred by the personnel during deployments outside the state, the DA was necessitated. It cited Tamil Nadu and Mizoram as examples, which it said were doling-out Rs 200 as DA to personnel in the rank of havildar and below when deployed outside their states.

As per information received by The Morung Express, the DA for the Nagaland Police personnel deployed for election duty was Rs 275 till 2017 before it was enhanced to Rs 1500 in 2018. It was Rs 225 in 2012 and Rs 250 in 2013.