High Court seeks data from Home Department in SPO salary dispute

The High Court has sought necessary information and data from the Home Department regarding a dispute over the salaries and other facilities of Special Police Officers (SPOs) in Jammu and Kashmir. According to a report by Hindustan Times, a division bench of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, during the hearing on the matter, asked the Home Department for data related to VDC SPOs, which has not yet been submitted. The court has scheduled the next hearing of this case for November 19.

The entire dispute is linked to the reduction in salaries of SPOs of the Village Defence Committee (VDC). As the matter has been pending in court since 2022-23, the payment of salaries to approximately 2,300 VDC SPOs has been completely stalled. These employees allege that the decisions taken by the government are unjust. Shashi Kumar, an SPO of the Village Defence Committee, stated that he had been serving for over 15 years and was receiving a salary of ₹18,000; how could such a massive reduction be accepted?

Explaining the background of the case, Kumar stated that in March 2022, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) approved the newly formulated Village Defence Group (VDG) scheme in place of the old VDC scheme. The objective of this scheme was to revitalise the village defence network and streamline the direct payment process, but due to this policy, a limit was set on the monthly honorarium for all VDG members, including senior SPOs, reducing it to only ₹4,500. This move caused widespread resentment among the employees.

Currently, SPOs are given a fixed honorarium based on their years of service. Those with less than five years of service receive ₹6,000 per month, those completing five years receive ₹9,000, and those with 15 or more years of service are paid between ₹15,000 and ₹18,000. However, employees have been put in difficulty due to the reduction in this amount under the new scheme.

Speaking about the duties and risks of SPOs, Shashi Kumar stated that these employees are deployed on all fronts, from maintaining law and order to anti-terrorism operations. They also serve as orderlies at the residences of senior police officers. They face trained terrorists with weapons such as INSAS, SLR, and .303 rifles. Kumar further added that fighting terrorists for such a low salary seems meaningless, yet they perform their duties at the risk of their lives and receive nothing but a farewell at the time of retirement.

The employees demand to be regularised as they were appointed specifically to confront terrorists. They stated that they are still performing their duties in VDGs with weapons and equipment, yet they are not being paid salaries. Previously, a single bench of the High Court had ruled in favour of the VDC SPOs, after which the division bench began the hearing.

The government has increased the compensation amount for the heirs of SPOs martyred in terrorist attacks to ₹5 lakh. In addition, further assistance is provided through the assistant welfare fund and insurance. Nevertheless, employees serving on the border say that a dignified salary and job security are still far from their reach.

Special Police Officers (SPOs) were auxiliary personnel appointed to assist the police system in Jammu and Kashmir. They primarily worked to support the police in maintaining law and order and in security operations.