The constabulary in Karnataka may be up in arms demanding a pay hike on a par with the salary of their counterparts in other States, but an analysis of the basic pay of constables across the country reveals that those in the State are the second best paid in south India, as per the data published by the Bureau of Police Research and Development.

Better paid

While only constables in Telangana are better paid than those in Karnataka, they are worse off in the other southern States of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

While in most States, the basic pay of a constable is in the range of Rs. 5,200 to Rs. 20,000, those in Karnataka and Telangana are well paid.

The former State police chief Shankar Bidari said that successive Karnataka government had given good pay scales to police personnel. “Now some vehement arguments are being put forth on disparities in the pay scales of constabulary when compared with that in other States. A small committee of officials may be appointed and its recommendations placed before the next pay commission which is overdue,” he suggested.

Low start

Nationally, though constables in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh have a low start of their basic pay, they go on to earn much more than their Karnataka counterparts. For instance, constables in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh start with Rs. 10,300 as their basic pay and they earn up to Rs. 34,800, with an additional interim pay too.

Highest here

While the salary of head constables and assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs) is the highest in Telangana, their pay is better in Kerala than in Karnataka. However, the pay scales of head constables and ASIs in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh are the same as that of constables, they are much higher than in the most of the southern States except Telangana.