Dimapur, June 3 (MExN): The Rising People’s Party (RPP) today urged the Nagaland Government to review the decision regarding what it termed as “reduction in the TA/DA (Travel Allowance and Daily Allowance) rate for uniformed police personnel on election duty outside the state.”
Citing an April 9, 2024 notification by the State Finance Department, the RPP stated that the rate which was capped at Rs 1500 got reduced to Rs. 550.
As per sources the previous rate of was not supposed to be this ‘high’ since accommodation, transportation and ration are already taken care of by the State Government and the Finance Department reportedly “rectified the ‘anomaly’” by bringing the down the amount, it maintained.
Regardless of the Finance Department’s justification, the State Government is strongly urged to review its decision, the RPP added.
As per the party, for almost three months 4 battalions of police personnel and officers have been carrying out election related duties in stifling heat all over India, already claiming 3 lives.
The paltry amount of Rs. 550 per day cannot justify the daily expenditure one incurs where jawans have to buy bottled water and sundry, and sometimes source nutritious food for themselves given the quality of food provided at the mess, it claimed.
To this end, the RPP termed the notification of reducing the allowance to Rs 550 per day as ‘unjustifiable and inhuman.’
The circumstance of election duty in sweltering heat for several months while carrying out one’s duty responsibly is no mean task and therefore the RPP demands that this issue is rectified before our jawans reaches home, it added.
The previous amount should be restored and the jawans should be paid this amount ex post facto with immediate effect, the RPP demanded.
Further, it called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances under which the jawans operate in hostile conditions.
Adequate compensation of at least Rs 10 lakh each should be paid to the bereaved families of the 3 jawans, it added.
Targeting the ruling NDPP/BJP coalition over the issue, the RPP also wondered why difficult for government to show some compassion when it can sanction the colossal amount of Rs 52 Crore to build a new stage and amphitheater at Kisama to commemorate 25 years of Hornbill festival.
It is a task almost unnecessary as the old building/rostrum is to be broken down completely for a new vanity project, it added.
