Unlike constables, police officers can't rest assured

BENGALURU: Police constables won their first victory when the system relented to allow them compulsory weekly offs. Now, they have regular grievance meetings where they are heard by officers. While this has marginally improved the working conditions for the constabulary, officers of the rank of assistant sub-inspectors and above are now taking the brunt.

State police chief Om Prakash issued a circular to all police stations in the state, directing inspectors to hold a meeting with their civil, reserve police and station staff, hear their grievances and solve the problems aired. The circular further asked senior officers including police inspectors to allow the constabulary to walk in to their chambers for meetings and not make appointments mandatory.

This followed rumblings in the police constabulary, which planned a protest by going on mass leave on June 4 this year. Although the protest fizzled out, the message was loud and clear. Now, the constabulary is entitled to compensatory offs if there is any emergency work on their weekly off.

Meanwhile, there are 246 posts vacant at the sub-inspector rank. With shortage of staff -from ASIs right up to the Deputy Commissioners of Police -and there being no provision for a weekly off, the heat is now on the officers. The increased work load (18,702 pending cases in 2015), the pressure of grievance meetings and lack of sufficient rest appear to be taking a toll. "We can't assign more work to constables because they complain in the meeting," said an ASI in central Bengaluru. While the constabulary earned some benefits, thanks to a certain degree of unionism, officers are not organised. Former DGP S T Ramesh wondered hy the police department alone does why the police department alone does not have the provision of weekly offs and that the state government should extend the facility .

"Where 150 posts are required, only 100 posts are sanctioned. Of this, only 70 are filled. They should increase the sanctioned strength and fill up all of them," he said.

Noting that it was not for him to comment, additional commissioner of Police (administration), R Hitendra, said the state government has to take a decision on weekly offs (to officers).

Additional chief secretary (home) Subhash Chandra said, "All issues will be solved in a phased manner."