Nearly three-lakh Central Reserve Paramilitary Force (CRPF) personnel have been told through an internal communication that they will not get their monthly ‘ration allowance’ with their salaries for the month of September, reported The Telegraph.
The allowance of Rs 3,000 per month, which the personnel reportedly use for meals in their canteens and mess, has been withheld because the Home Ministry did not release a tranche to the tune of Rs 800 crore, in spite reminders in the month of July, August and September, the report said.
According to the report, the communication, dated 13 September, was sent to CRPF formations across the country. It also stated that the CRPF had asked the Home Ministry on 22 July, 8 August and 9 September for:
“allotment of additional fund amounting Rs 800 crore so that continuous ration money allowance could be drawn with regular pay but allotment of additional budget is still expected from MHA. As no reserve fund under COR (cash on reserve) is presently available, therefore it is not feasible to draw ration money allowance from the pay of September 2019. Hence, stop drawal of ration money allowance from the pay of September ’19 till further orders. Please inform all concerned personnel accordingly. ”
“This is the first time the ration allowance has been stopped. We spoke to ministry officials last week about the pending money and they mentioned the faltering economy,” the report quoted a senior CRPF official as saying, who also added that no official reason was cited by the Ministry.
CRPF’s Response to the Report
Responding to The Telegraph report, the CRPF clarified:
“On account of the revision of Ration Money Allowance made by MHA on 12.7.2019, Rs. 22,144 per head ration money (arrears) was paid to around 2 lakh CRPF personnel who are drawing RMA. In this way CRPF troops have already received an amount Rs. 22,144 as ration money in July which is equivalent to 6 months RMA (at present rates) and thus they have sufficient funds for messing. Hence the contention that jawans have run out of ration money is baseless and preposterous and there is no crisis whatsoever. The RMA for September will also be paid shortly. CRPF remains ever committed to the welfare of its jawans.”
Sources also told the daily that ‘frantic calls’ were being made by personnel across the country as the stoppage of the funds seemed almost certain.
The ‘ration allowance is received by non-gazetted CRPF personnel across the country which includes constables, head constables, assistant sub-inspectors, sub-inspectors and inspectors.
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