Srinagar, Oct 9: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has cleared a proposal for a salary hike for around 32,000 Special Police Officers (SPOs) serving in Jammu and Kashmir and the file has been sent to the Finance Ministry of India for approval.

According to officials, the final approval of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is now awaited. Her approval will be decisive in notifying the revised pay and allowances for the SPOs.
The proposal, pursued by the Jammu and Kashmir government and the Police Department, seeks to enhance the monthly remuneration of SPOs deployed in counter-terrorism operations, security assignments and law-and-order maintenance across the Union Territory.
A revision in monthly remuneration, along with possible hardship-related allowances, is under consideration.
At present, SPOs receive monthly remuneration ranging from ₹6,000 to ₹18,000, depending on their length of service. The proposed enhancement is aimed at providing financial relief to personnel posted in remote, mountainous and security-sensitive areas, where difficult working conditions add to the demands of their service.
Officials said the proposal cannot move to the notification stage until the Finance Ministry grants its approval. Until the Finance Ministry clears the financial implications and a formal order is issued, the revised remuneration, new pay slabs and additional allowances will remain unspecified.
Improved remuneration and better service-related benefits have remained long standing demands of SPOs, who have been key component of anti-militancy operations in J&K.
Apart from the proposed salary revision, SPO welfare measures also include provisions concerning reservation in regular police recruitment and other service-related benefits, subject to applicable rules, eligibility conditions and government policies.
The revised remuneration, new pay slabs and any additional allowances for SPOs will become clear only after the Finance Ministry grants the requisite approval and the competent authority issues a formal order.