By IANS,
Mumbai: The auspicious occasion of Navratri has brought cheer to nearly 50,000 subordinate police and revenue officials of Maharashtra who have been given a significant pay hike.
The move, which would entail an additional expenditure of nearly Rs.150 crore per annum to the state exchequer, comes ahead of the local bodies elections.
The decision will benefit kotwals and police-patils – the last-rung representatives of the powerful revenue and home departments at the village level.
Announcing the hikes, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said that the honorarium of 12,155 kotwals has bene increased from existing Rs.2,000 to Rs.5,000.
The move, which would cost the state nearly Rs.45 crore annually, shall be implemented form April 1, 2012, he said.
Similarly, the payments of 38,208 police-patils has been hiked from existing Rs.800 to Rs.3,000, totaling to Rs.102 crore per annum. It will be effective from Jan 1, 2012.
The police-patils have also been rewarded with a nearly 150 percent hike in their daily travel allowances in different distance categories.
The kotwals and police-patils and the first point of contact of villagers with the state government and play an important role in ensuring that the decisions taken at the topmost levels in the administration are implemented at the local level.