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8. Learned counsel read the relevant part of the judgement in order to bring home his point that the personnel of Assam Rifles or retired employees who had been a part of Assam Rifles have/had discharged roles similar to all Para Military Forces and therefore, they are entitled to get equal treatment and emoluments from the Central Government.

9. Learned counsel further submitted that the personnel working in SFF have been held equal to the persons working in the Indian Army for the purpose of pay scale and pensions, and there is no reason why the members of the Petitioner-Association should not be treated equal to Indian Army as the personnel in SFF have been treated.

2.16.15 The Special Frontier Force (SFF), a para-military force led by a Major General of Indian Army as its Inspector General, headquartered in New Delhi, was created in November 1962 in the backdrop of Chinese aggression by the then Prime Minister Shri Jawaharlal Nehru. SFF has been modeled on the lines of the Indian Army and the Assam Rifles. There are several similarities between SFF and Assam Rifles in terms of their service conditions, training, leadership by the Army, rank structure of the 'Personnel Below Officer Rank' (PBOR), etc. 2.16.17 The Committee takes note of the fact that the personnel of the Special Frontier Force, which is a paramilitary force like the Assam Rifles, have already been accorded parity with Group 'Y' 'Personnel Below Officer Rank' of the Indian Army for the purpose of pay, allowance and pension. The Committee wonders as to why the Assam Rifles personnel have been deprived of such benefits. The Committee feels that this has caused undue discrimination towards the personnel of the Assam Rifles, who have been deprived of the benefits accorded to other paramilitary forces. The Committee, therefore, recommended that the Assam Rifles may be immediately given parity with Group 'Y' 'Personnel Below Officer Rank' of the Indian Army for the purpose of pay, allowance and pension on the lines of the Special Frontier Force."

16. Learned counsel for the Respondents submitted that the Special Frontier Force (SFF) and Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) may get a bit higher pension as they enjoy a different status in light of the duties they discharge, moreso, since the members of the SFF and the ITBP work directly under the control and supervision of Hon‟ble Prime Minister, the Petitioner cannot compare the service conditions of its members with that of the SFF, ITBP, etc.

23. However, providing a facility under ECHS is altogether a different matter, than providing equal pay as being paid to the personnel of the Indian Army. Without ECHS facility, members of Assam Rifles were included in the CGHS and were otherwise getting benefits of health services. For the purpose of extending such facility, the Kerala High Court has considered the personnel of Assam Rifles equal to SFF or ITBP. But with the same logic, it cannot be said that they are entitled to get emoluments equal to the members of SFF and ITBP and in turn, equal to Indian Army.