HC Deb 10 April 1919 vol 114 cc2264-5W
Mr. PERKINS

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he is aware of the grievance of the retired officers of the Indian Police, Imperial branch, as regards their pensions; whether the maximum pension is actually £62 10s. per annum less than the amount promised in the year 1855, when the pension was fixed at Rs. 5,000, or £500 per annum; whether he is aware that, in paragraph 68 of the Summary of Recommendations in their Reform Scheme for India, the Secretary of State for India and Lord Chelmsford have confirmed the recommendation of the Public Services Commission in India that the ordinary maximum pension of retired officers of the Indian Police, Imperial branch, be raised to Rs.6,000; whether he is aware of the promise of His Majesty's Viceroy at Delhi, on 17th February, 1917, that the Government had decided, with the approval of the Secretary of State, to deal with the Report of the Commission on the Public Service in India expeditiously, so that the redress of the pressing grievances should not be postponed for less urgent reforms; if he will state what is the difficulty in the matter which is still engaging the attention of the Government of India; whether the Report which the Secretary of State is shortly expecting has been received; and when the final decision on the subject of improving the pensions may be looked for?

Mr. FISHER

The grievances of the Indian Police service with regard to the existing limit of Rs. 5,000 a year pensions awardable to officers on retirement is not peculiar to that service, but it is common to all Indian services the pensions of which are on a non-contributable basis. The recommendation of the Public Services Commission that the limit should be raised to Rs. 6,000 is one of a number of recommendations applying to the pension scale of all these services, and these recommendations, which cover a large field, and are not free from intricacy, are being dealt with as a whole by the Government of India in consultation with Local Governments. The Government of India have assured the Secretary of State that no unavoidable delay will occur in submitting their proposals. Inquiry has been made as to when these may be expected.