Centre extends incentives to govt employees working in Kashmir for 3 more years

New Delhi: Centre has extended the package of concessions and incentives to Central Government employees working in Kashmir Valley for a further period of three years.

"It has been decided by the competent authority to extend the package of concessions/incentives to Central Government employees working in Kashmir Valley for a further period of three years with effect from 01.08.2021," said an office memorandum issued by the DoPT on Monday.

The DoPT said that the package of incentives is uniformly applicable to all Ministries and Departments and PSUs under the Government of India and they should ensure strict adherence to the rates prescribed in the package. "The concerned Ministry/Department may ensure implementation and monitoring of the package in conformity with the approved package, and therefore, all court cases in which verdicts are given contrary to the package would have to be contested by the Ministries/Departments concerned," it said.

Among other incentives, these employees have an option to move their families to a selected place of their choice in India at Government expenses and Transport Allowance for the families allowed as admissible in permanent transfer inclusive of the Composite Transfer Grant at the rate of 80 per cent of the last month's basic pay.

For the period of temporary duty, an incentive known as the Kashmir Valley Special Incentive will be paid at the following rates along with food charges (as per 7th Pay Commission norms), apart from departmental arrangements for stay, security and transportation.

Some of the incentives include an additional house rent allowance, composite transfer grant, per diem allowance, incentive for period of temporary duty, messing allowance, facility to draw pension at place of settlement in relaxation of relevant provisions.

A source on anonymity said that it was a good initiative by the government to join the Union Territory administration particularly in the Kashmir Valley. However, now, as the government claims that the situation has improved, there is hardly any need to extend it for further three years, he added.