Pay commission: Maharashtra approves incentive allowance at 30% of basic pay for Anti-Narcotics Task Force personnel

Pay commission: The Maharashtra state government on 29 July (Tuesday) approved incentive allowance equivalent to 30% of basic pay, for police officers and personnel serving in the state's Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) under the 7th central pay commission, according to a PTI report.

Reason for the incentive allowance stated by the Maharashtra government is the high-risk and hazardous nature of the duty performed by ANTF, it added. This has been approved under the 7th central pay commission (7th CPC).

State Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the Maharashtra legislative assembly a few days back said that ANTF personnel would receive special incentives to attract competent officers to the specialised unit.

ANTF personnel to get incentive allowance — Details

• The Maharashtra home department in a government resolution (GR) noted that officers and personnel in the ANTF regularly undertake covert operations, raids and investigations against illicit drug trafficking, as well as international and organised crime syndicates, often at considerable risk to their lives, the report said.
• According to the resolution, “Furthermore, due to the handling of hazardous narcotic substances, there is a possibility of these officers and police personnel suffering serious physical and psychological injuries.”
• It added that the state is mulling granting an incentive allowance equivalent to 30% of basic pay under the 7th CPC “in view of the risks associated with anti-narcotics operations and to attract capable officers and personnel to the force”.

• To this end, it has approved payment of an “incentive allowance” equal to 30% of the basic pay for police officers and personnel serving in the ANTF.
• It clarified that no other allowances would be admissible on the incentive amount and that the benefit would cease once the officers or personnel returned to their parent cadre or unit.

Addressing ‘drug menace in the state’

Responding to concerns over the growing drug menace in the state assembly earlier, Fadnavis had said such incentives were generally provided to personnel serving in sensitive assignments, such as Naxal-affected Gadchiroli or the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), to attract qualified officers.

“Unfortunately, in the past, officers who were dumped somewhere were assigned to narcotics units. However, to successfully tackle narcotics, we need our finest officers engaged in this effort,” he added.

According to Fadnavis, the government was working on a policy on the lines of incentives available in Gadchiroli and the ACB, which could include either a special pay component or a one-step promotion policy to encourage capable officers to join the ANTF.

Maharashtra approves payment of DA arrears

Earlier in May, the Maharashtra government approved payment of dearness allowance (DA) arrears for state government employees under the 5th, 6th and 7th CPCs, amounting to a total payout of ₹800 crore. This is for November, December 2025 and January 2026.

Further, the state also approved 2% increase in dearness relief (DR) for retired All India Services officers. Individual and family pensioners will receive the revised 60% DA component with effect from 1 January 2026, as per reports.

Prior to that, the state also made its revised National Pension Scheme optional for government employees covered under the current NPS, allowing opt-in by year-end. The revised NPS was approved two years back by the Maharashtra cabinet to be implemented for state government employees on the lines of the Centre's Unified Pension Scheme (UPS).

(With inputs from PTI, Agencies)