AUGUST 17: A group of yantriks (technicians) employed with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) filed a petition in the Bombay High Court recently challenging the fourth and fifth pay commissions' recommendations.

The yantriks, holders of three-year diploma in engineering, have alleged ``discrimination in pay scale'' by the Central government. They stated their pay scale is much lower than what is paid to their counterparts in other branches of the central police organisations like the Border Security Force (BSF), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the Central Reserved Police Force (CRPF) and the Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP).

The petition stated that while the BSF engineers (known as junior engineers) earn Rs 1,400-2,300, the yantriks are being paid on a scale of Rs 950-1,500. Moreover, the Centre has upgraded the scale for BSF JEs to Rs 1,600-2,300 after the fifth pay commission's report while the yantriks' salary remains unchanged.

The yantriks state that employees in sectors like railways, defence, information and broadcasting and surface transport, are also being paid on a higher scale (Rs 1,600-2,660). The petition said the yantriks are deprived of facilities otherwise given to all members of the Armed Forces.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.