Centre: Benefits of AIS officers posted in northeast withdrawn

The incentives include an additional 25% basic pay among allowances.

The department of personnel and training (DoPT) has withdrawn the benefits and special allowances granted to All India Services (AIS) officers working in the north-east, an order sent to the chief secretaries of the state governments said.

The DoPT has withdrawn the benefits and special allowances granted to All India Services (AIS) officers working in the north-east (Representative use)

“I am directed to state that the government, after review of the various incentives/allowances being granted to AIS officers working in the North-eastern region… be withdrawn with immediate effect,” the DoPT order, dated September 24, stated.

The above-cited order includes AIS officers comprising Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFS) belonging to the Assam-Meghalaya joint cadre, Sikkim, Nagaland, Tripura and Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya (from the AGMUT cadre), officials familiar with the matter said.

The incentives include an additional 25% basic pay among allowances. “The allowance will be called “Special Allowance for officers belonging to North-East Cadres of All India Services” and will be payable to the officers belonging to North-East Cadres of All India Services while they are working in the North-East Region @ 25% of their basic pay in addition to other allowances presently payable to them. These orders will take effect from the date of their issue,” a DoPT order, issued in 2005 and extended in 2009, stated.

The benefits granted to them between 2005 and 2007 regarding post-retirement housing have also been rescinded.

The government has also cancelled the tax benefits of the tribal AIS officers while on central deputation. “The undersigned is directed to refer to the subject cited above and to say that the question of granting monetary incentive to tribal officers belonging to North-East Cadres of the All India Services for coming outside the state on Central Deputation has been engaging the attention of the Government for some time. Accordingly, it has now been decided that to protect the Income Tax exemption already available to Tribal All India Service officers of the North East while posted in the North East, they would be entitled to reimbursement of the equivalent amount of income tax payable by them, while on Central Deputation,” the previous order issued in 2009 stated.