Higher Allowances, Relaxation in Leave Travel for Troops

New Delhi, Aug 2 (UNI) In a far-reaching decision -- ostensibly aimed at compensating for enhanced stress-levels of troops deployed on nerve-wrenching security duties, the Government today approved additional allowances for Army officers and jawans as also better working conditions and leave facilities for them.

According to a Cabinet decision, Army officers posted in high altitude areas and on other diffficult assignments will now get an additional monthly allowance of Rs 5,600 while Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBORs) performing similar duties shall get an extra Rs 3,734 per month.

The decision -- entailing an annual outgo of Rs 100 crore -- was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here.

Under another decision aimed at redressing stress levels among personnel posted on 'difficult assignments' -- a euphemism which includes duties entailing combating insurgency and terrorism, such Army personnel shall now be eligible for one additional free railway warrant to visit their hometown twice a year.

All service personnel can also undertake leave journey to their station of choice without any restriction on distance, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told mediapersons shortly after the Cabinet meeting.

''This will not only help in alleviating stress but also keep up the morale of the defence personnel posted in high-altitude areas, '' the Minister said.

The 1.3 million-strong Army -- now for almost two decades deployed in counter-insurgency duties within the country -- has too often been called upon to shoulder also the tasks normally the responsibility of civil authorities -- like search and rescue operations during natural calamities and even post-disaster management.

Continued deployment in tackling insurgency as also terrorism -- besides the routine field area postings -- have taken their toll on the troops and -- as a result of heightened stress-levels -- the Army lost 455 jawans and officers between 2003 and 2007 to suicides and fratricide -- with over 60 per cent of such incidents happening in militancy-ridden Jammu&Kashmir alone, official figures reveal.

UNI