Junior cops wait for re-recognition of their Assn by HC
Pulkit Vasudha
Ahmedabad, November 14 Low ranking police personnel in Gujarat are now eagerly awaiting the re-recognition of their association by the Gujarat High Court, which was dismissed by the erstwhile director general of police of the state on grounds of low strength and attendance.
The association of police sub-inspectors, head constables and constables was formed with the aim of raising their voice against the harassment at the hands of senior officials within the establishment.
Harassment of junior police personnel by their seniors is not new in Gujarat. As Khuman Ghusabhai, a constable of the Gujarat Police who had levelled corruption charges against SP RJ Sawani and was dismissed by the latter, said, he has not taken home his monthly salary of Rs 7000, for the last 18 months. His daughter’s postgraduation fees and his son’s school education are now entirely dependent on the pension of his deceased father.
According to him, Sawani alone has dismissed over 50 policemen, and with the police employees’ union having been dissolved in 1989, the khaki clad are taking a regular beating at the hands of their superiors.
“For 16 years, senior officials have wielded the baton of disciplinary action against policemen if they dared to participate in union activities,” said Kanti Parmar, president of the constables’ association in Gujarat, however, adding that even as the High Court declared that a union or an association was a fundamental right and policemen did not need anyone’s permission to organise themselves, the erstwhile DGP, PC Pandey, derecognised the association in September 2007. Association members say, with the case now back in the court again, they are hoping the wait this time won’t be that long.
“Our primary goal now is to allay the fears of police employees and show our strength in numbers and unity. Policemen are afraid of being dismissed and harassed if they attend the meetings of the association,” said Naresh Brahmbhatt, the president of the police sub inspector, head-constables association of Gujarat.
“Once the union is formed, we can address some of our long pending demands. In a state of five crore Gujaratis, there are only 42,000 police constables and 17,000 assistant sub-inspector head constables. The police strength has not increased since 1961. Instead of regular eight-hour shifts, we are forced to work for as long as 18 hours or more everyday. Neither do we get paid for overtime work, nor do we get promotions in time,” he said.
According to Parmar, the low staff strength has also hampered their career prospects. Personnel have to wait as long as 20 years for a promotion, while on the other hand, IPS officers are guaranteed promotions at regular intervals. The newly recruited Lok Sevaks are paid a paltry Rs 2,500 though their work is as strenuous as that of a commissioned policeman, Parmar said.
He added: “Every year, we contribute towards a welfare fund. Both ‘schemes’ and ‘welfare’, are, however, non-existent”. “The living quarters for policemen and their families in Ahmedabad are in a deplorable condition. Policemen in Gujarat still carry the ancient musket and the .303 rifle while the criminals have upgraded to the latest weaponry,” he said.
Source: Indian Express