In an effort to raise the morale and motivation of its crack officers in the Special Cell, the Delhi Police plans to seek special allowances for the elite unit.

According to information, the police plan to forward a proposal seeking the extra allowances to the Ministry of Home Affairs soon.

A source in the police department said they are at present collecting documents detailing extra allowances given to special units of police forces in other states. The details would be enclosed with the proposal to be sent to the ministry, they said.

“The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad, Hyderabad’s OCTOPUS, the Bangalore police and special units in several other states get special allowances,” the source said. “All these units in different states have been created to tackle top-priority cases, especially terrorism.”

According to the source, the proposal would include demands for a 15-per cent hike in salary to officials posted in the Special Cell, besides granting them gadgets like laptops, latest mobile phones and others.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) P N Aggarwal confirmed that the Delhi Police is drafting such a proposal.

According to the source, sleuths deployed in the Police Training College at present receive an extra 15 per cent monthly salary than other local police personnel. “It’s called training allowance,” the source said, “and it is meant to motivate them.”

Similarly, the source said, a reason why Special Cell sleuths are demanding extra allowance is the extra risk involved in their work. “The Special Cell is responsible for tackling militants and other hardened criminals and are thus more prone to danger than police personnel in other units,” a senior officer said.

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