Ex-paramilitary alliance meets 8th pay commission chair, places 14-point memorandum

An alliance advocating for former Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel has presented a 14-point memorandum to the chairperson of the 8th Central Pay Commission, Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai. The Alliance of All Ex Para-Military Forces Welfare Association met with Desai on Monday, seeking a range of benefits for both serving and retired CAPF personnel.

This meeting marks a significant moment, as it is reportedly the first time the 8th Pay Commission has invited the alliance to present its suggestions. The demands put forth include the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme, the granting of Organized Group ‘A’ Service status, and the implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP). Additionally, the alliance is pushing for time-bound promotions, an expansion of CGHS dispensaries, revised pension slabs, and the establishment of state-level paramilitary welfare boards.

The memorandum also calls for a Paramilitary Flag Day Fund and the declaration of a common CAPF Day. These issues echo a decade-long legal battle fought by CAPF officers, which resulted in a favorable Supreme Court judgment in 2025. However, the alliance alleges that a new Central Armed Police Force Act, passed earlier this year, was enacted to circumvent this Supreme Court order, which the home ministry has yet to implement.

The government, on the other hand, maintains the new act is necessary to address fragmented regulatory provisions and reduce service-related litigations. The objective of the bill, passed by both houses of Parliament, is to establish an umbrella law for CAPFs to ensure legislative clarity and harmonize judicial directions with administrative and federal requirements. The alliance, led by its president HR Singh, urged the commission to prioritize the interests of CAPF personnel, highlighting their challenging service conditions, operational risks, and post-retirement needs.

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Considering the nature and purposes of the Central Armed Police Forces and to avoid unnecessary litigations, there is a need to lay down an umbrella law to regulate the recruitment, deputation, promotion and other conditions of services of Group A General Duty Officers and other officers appointed in these Central Armed Police Forces and other rules regarding these Forces, to ensure legislative clarity, preserving their distinct operational and functional requirements and harmonising judicial directions with administrative and federal requirements.