Pramesh S Jain
As part of the welfare measures for the overworked policemen state police chief instructed the senior officers in-charge to ensure policemen should get week offs compulsorily.
In a memo issued on Thursday to all the, Commissionerates,IGPs,and SPs,Range and the senior police officers at the state head quarters, Mr.Praeen Sood,said that one of the requirements for ensuring good physical and professional health of policemen is to provide weekly off.
It has been time and again reiterated that mandatory weekly off,spread over all the days of the week by rotation,should be provided to all policemen,except in emergency situation like major bandobast,elections and natural calamities,Mr. Sood,said in a memo.
However the week off which could not be provided due to these above circumstances,the in charge officer should compensate with allowance or with alternate day,he said adding that the week off should not be denied as routine.
Mr.Sood further said that the officers in-charge should enforce the guidelines scrupulously.The memo was issued by Mr.Sood after he realized that contables who represent a major percentage of the force are denied week off and forced to work for long hours.
Though there are standing orders on week off, senior police officials ignore and force the constables to work citing different reasons.
Though there are clear cut directions on week off it’s only on paper and we are forced to work and often come under the scanner of our seniors if questioned citing insubordination and questioning the authority,a police constable says.
Its not so bad as many seniors are compassionate and realise the importance of the week offs,but they are too helpless as the shortage of staff is the main reason,another constable said .
This is not the first time the memo on week off was issued.The then city police commissioner NS Megharik issued memos to all the DCPs making mandatory for the policemen up to the rank of PSI to grant compulsory week off.
He also stated the the station in charge should compensate one day payment allowance or alternative day week off for those who are denied week off on emergency situations .
It may be recalled,former Commissioner Bhaskar Rao made it mandatory for 30 % of the total working force in the city to take one week off during peak time of lockdown enforcement during Corona outbreak peak time .
A research conducted by Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) a few years ago revealed that 90 percent of the police officers work long hours and 73 % of them do not avail week off even once in a month.
The BPRD concluded that denying week off to the policemen not only affects their behavioral pattern but also takes a toll on their health .
Providing a week off for policemen will also help the department in a way of getting better output. The policemen who get a chance to relax once in a week and spend quality time with his family tend to come back afresh and improve in his performance at work said a senior IPS officer.
