In a major relief for paramilitary forces' officers posted in far-flung areas of the country, the Delhi High Court has ordered that the benefit of house rent allowance should be paid to them if they keep their families in rented accommodation in cities or locations of their choice.
Such a facility was available only to the personnel below officer rank or jawans after this was agreed upon by the seventh central pay comma soon.
"The benefit of House Rent Allowance (HRA) shall not be confined to only PBORs but shall be extended to all the personnel of the forces irrespective of their rank, as per their entitlement.
"Further, respondents are directed to take necessary steps within six weeks of this judgment, in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs as well as the Ministry of Finance, to grant the benefit of HRA to the petitioners and similarly situate personnel with effect from the passing of this judgment," Delhi High Court bench headed by Justice Suresh Kumar Kait said.
The order from the Delhi High Court came after a petition was filed by nine officers of the Border Security Force.
The officers had contended that they are not provided government accommodation nor are they being paid House Rent Allowance for keeping their families at different locations.
They stated that the Seventh Pay Commission had also recommended that the personnel of the uniformed services can keep their families at any location and they would be paid HRA for the same. However, the recommendations were confined to the Personnel Below Officer Rank ('PBOR') but denied to the Group-A officers.
"The issues faced by the paramilitary officers were accepted by the central pay commission also and it had recommended the benefit to be granted to all personnel but only jawans were granted this facility which was illogical and arbitrary. Now the High Court has allowed the officers also from paramilitary forces to get the HRA for keeping families in different locations of their choice," counsel for the officers Ankit Chhibber said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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