President Medal Award for Service at Risk of Life Amount Hiked to Rs. 3k per Month

[Ref: F. No. 394/942011-Cus (AS) dated 23^rd May 2014]

Subject:- Notification regarding increase in monetary recipient off of the Customs & Central Excise, Narcotics Control Bureau and Directorate of Enforcement of ‘Presidential Award of Appreciation Certificate for exceptionally meritorious service at the risk of life'.

The officers of the Customs & Central Excise, Narcotics Control Bureau and Directorate of Enforcement are considered for grant of Presidential Award of Appreciation Certificate for exceptionally meritorious service rendered at the risk of life and specially distinguished record of service on their achieving and maintaining excellence in the discharge of their duties. These awards are announced on the eve of Republic Day.

2. The recipients of the Award of Appreciation Certificate for exceptionally meritorious service rendered at the risk of life were getting in addition to the certificate, a monetary allowance on the analogy of grant of such allowance to the recipients of Presidential Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG) as well as recipients of Shaurya Chakra. While the monetary allowance for the PPMG awardees and Shaurya Chakra awardees was revised periodically, there has been no periodical increase in the monetary allowance in respect of the recipient of the Award of Appreciation Certificate for exceptionally meritorious service rendered at the risk of life. The recommendation of the Central Board of Excise & Customs for the corresponding revision of the same has recently been approved by the outgoing Finance Minister. Following the same, the Ministry of Finance has issued a Notification in this regard

2.1 A copy of the Notification No. 43/2014 -Customs (N.T.) dated 23^rd May, 2014 being issued in this regard is enclosed. As per the Notification, the recipients of this certificate or his widow are also entitled to the monetary allowance of Rs. 3,000/- per month for first such Act of exceptionally meritorious service at the risk of life and Rs. 2.500/- per month for a fresh act of meritorious service at the risk of life. The allowance at revised rates shall be admissible to the officers and staff who were sanctioned the Presidential Award of Appreciation Certificate for exceptionally meritorious service at the risk of life till date and to future recipients of the said award. The revised rates of the allowance shall be applicable from the date of issue of this notification.

2.2 These awards are granted after a great scrutiny and for exceptionally meritorious service at the risk of life which inter-alia involve caching smugglers of Narcotics drugs / other contrabands etc. The rarity of the award may be gauzed from the fact that only 41 officers/ have received this award since the inception of same in 1962.

2.3 While, granting approval for the increase in monetary allowance, the Hon'ble Finance Minister vide Note dated 14.05.2014 observed as under:

‘This should be given only in exceptional cases. I note that in the last 50 years only 41 officers have been given the award.  We should maintain that high standard and, as far as possible, not more than 1 person a year should be given the award. Subject to above, the proposal is approved. ‘

2.4 Accordingly, this observation of the Hon'ble Finance Minister may please be kept in mind by the field formations while forwarding proposals for the Award of Appreciation Certificate for exceptionally meritorious service rendered at the risk of life.

3. It is requested that all the field formations should make wide publicity of the Notification in their respective jurisdiction(s) and get it circulated to all the Chief Account Officers and banks disbursing salary and allowances to the officers of Customs and Central Excise, Enforcement and Narcotics to ensure that the benefit of this Notification reaches to all the eligible recipients.

[Customs Notification No. 43 (Non Tariff) dated 23^rd May 2014]

In the Ministry's Notification No. 12/139/59-AD.III B dated 5.11.1962 as last amended vide Notification No. 1/2013 - Customs (N.T.) issued vide F. No. 394/136/2013-Cus (AS) dated 14.01.2013, the following amendment is made:

1. The existing Schedule prescribed vide Notification dated 14.06.1982 is substituted by the following Schedule:

Schedule
category of the Officer	Amount of monthly monetary allowance
	For officer awarded Presidential Award of Appreciation Certificate for exceptionally meritorious service at the risk of life	Additional allowance for presidential Award of Appreciation Certificate awarded for a fresh act of meritorious service at the risk of life to an officer already in receipt of an allowance.
1	2	3
All officer of Customs/Central Excise/ Narcotics Control Bureau and Directorate of Enforcement.	Rs. 3,000/-P.M.	Rs. 2,500/-P.M

2. The allowance at revised rates shall be admissible to the officers and staff who were sanctioned the presidential Award of Appreciation for exceptionally meritorious service at the risk of life till date to future recipients of the said award. the revised rates of the allowance shall be applicable form the date of issue of the notification.

F.NO. 394/136/2011-Cus (AS)/Pt