PUDUCHERRY: Is dissatisfaction looming large among the police force in the UT with as many as five Superits of Police in charge of law and order and traffic duties having gone on leave at the same time this week, leaving the policing to Inspectors whose morale is already down as promotion have not been effected due various factors.
Two of the SPs are on medical leave for a week. V Balakrishnan , SP (Traffic- North and East ) is on leave from June 11 for a week, while SP (East) N Vengadasamy, who takes care of the main town area is on a weeks leave from June 12 . SP(West) K Gunasekaran who went on leave for his daughter's marriage on June 4 has extended leave for a month. SP(South) Rahim has gone on a weeks leave from June 12 to his native place for Ramzam festival. Even SP(North) Rachna Singh is also on leave attending University examinations .
Already there are eight vacant posts of SPs (fallen vacant from 2016 to 2017) and another five on leave taking the total to 13 SPs posts vacant out of 24 SP posts. These are being handled mostly by Senior Inspectors and some a few SPs given additional charge .
Inspectors of Grand Bazaar, Traffic and D Nagar have been put on charge for the SPs of East, Traffic and North, while Shubham Ghose , who just completed PPS probation and posted as SP (Motor Transport) has been given additional charge of SP West and South, according to order issued by Police Headquarters today. Another two SP posts are going to fall vacant, due to superannuation of two SPs K Gunasekaran , SP (West )and Deivasigamany SP Traffic (Wests and South) on August 31.
While the SPs have cited various reasons for availing the leave, sources in the department state that the SPs are also a demoralised lot. They are not getting encouragement from seniors as well as cooperation from their juniors as their moral is down . Favouritism, red tapism, lack of sensitivity has taken away their motivation to work and are not bothered, sources said.
The promotions of Inspectors have not affected since it was due two years back. Though the police department published the seniority list in April to give promotion to Inspectors to 8 vacant posts based on seniority , it was objected by three Inspectors Murugavelu, Nallam Krishna Babu and Bhaskaran who moved CAT, Chennai on the grounds that Inspector Chintha Godandaraman , number one in the list , should not be placed ahead on others(direct Sub Inspectors who are now Inspectors) since he was recruited on compassionate grounds. However CAT after hearing the appeal filed by applicants on 13/04/2014 against the order of DGP on the seniority list published on 5/04/2018 disposed the representation on April 22, 2018 with a direction to the Competent Authority (Chief Secretary, Director General of Police and Secretary to Lt Governor ) to decide the appeal in accordance with law within a period of two months from the date of receipt of the copy of the order. In the meantime final seniority list shall not be operated and a reply has to be provided to the petitioners , directed the CAT. Now the DGP has submitted reply in this regard to CS and the CS has to give his observance to the petitioners.
There is no certainty that the government's explanation or its decision will not be challenged by the petitioners once again if the reply did not satisfy them. The Chief minister V Narayanasamy who is having the Home portfolio is apparently not taking interest in resolving the issue and letting the officials act , after some of the Inspectors had approached him, sources said.
The Lt Governor Kiran Bedi , former IPS officer who has been taking keen interest in police affairs, but this matter is yet to be resolved by her either. In the meantime through an administrative order , Tamildassan, an Assistant Commandant of India Reserve Battalion was posted as SP (Police Training School), by deviating from the cadre. This further upset the Inspectors waiting promotions, as someone who was not in the feeder post of Puducherry Police Service (PPS) cadre has been given promotion and posted by passing them.
In fact the Inspectors waiting for promotion were much senior having joined service as Sub Inspectors is in 1991, which he joined as SI in 2004. It was seen as favouritism, and following the hue and cry, the order was withdrawn by the DGP and SP(north) was given in charge.
Not only are the Inspectors waiting promotion, but even the senior Sub-Inspectors, ASIs and Head Constable and constable are also expecting their promotions to the posts that will fall vacant when the Inspectors get their promotion. They also remain a discontented lot, sources said and everyone is waiting eagerly for what decision government takes in this regard.