The Karnataka government has sanctioned a monthly hardship allowance for 626 police personnel serving in 33 police stations under the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE), recognising the challenging nature of their duties in investigating atrocities against members of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). The order was issued by the Social Welfare Department on Monday.

The decision follows a recommendation made by Mohan Kumar Danappa, Member of the Karnataka State Police Complaints Authority (SPCA). In a letter dated July 1 addressed to the Director General of Police, Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement, Mr. Danappa pointed out that the 33 DCRE police stations, established exclusively to investigate offences under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, were functioning with inadequate staff and an excessive workload.

He stated that each DCRE police station caters to an entire district, requiring a limited number of personnel to shoulder district-wide responsibilities. DCRE personnel were not receiving benefits such as weekly offs, special allowance or hardship allowance available to personnel in many other police stations. Mr. Danappa had urged the government to provide mandatory weekly holidays, special allowance and hardship allowance in the interest of personnel welfare and to ensure the efficient investigation of atrocity cases.

Acting on a proposal subsequently submitted by the Director General of Police, Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement, and after obtaining the concurrence of the Finance Department, the State government approved the hardship allowance.

Under the government order

Thirty-three Police Sub-Inspectors (PSIs) will receive a monthly hardship allowance of ₹2,000 each. As many as 181 Police Head Constables (HCs) will receive ₹2,000 per month, while 412 Police Constables (PCs) will receive ₹3,000 per month. The allowance will benefit a total of 626 police personnel posted in the DCRE’s 33 police stations across Karnataka.

The government said the DCRE is a specialised police unit functioning under the Social Welfare Department, tasked with investigating offences under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, enforcing civil rights laws, and serving as a protection unit for vulnerable communities.

The 33 DCRE police stations were established under a government order issued on December 6, 2024, with one police station in each district and two in Bengaluru city. According to the government, DCRE personnel perform duties similar to those of personnel in regular police stations, including registering FIRs, investigating cases, arresting accused persons, visiting crime scenes, assisting investigating officers, and maintaining round-the-clock beat patrols.

With only one DCRE police station in each district, personnel are responsible for handling atrocity cases across the entire district, resulting in increased operational responsibility.