KANNIYAKUMARI: The REST web portal, launched on July 11 for the Kanniyakumari district police to get a weekly off from work, has generated a favourable response from the police personnel, besides streamlining the management of rest days. Top police officials said their counterparts from other districts have taken an interest in adopting the system.
Around 1,900 police personnel — Grade I and II constables and special sub inspectors (SSIs) — avail of their rest days, except during deployment of a large number of personnel, VIP visits and festival duty, through the Roster for Equitable Scheduling of TimeOff (REST) portal, which also can be accessed through a mobile application. Police sources said that 212 personnel took their weekly off on Sunday (October 12).
Superintendent of Police R Stalin, who had initiated the efforts for the portal, told TNIE, “The portal is a step towards ensuring the well-being of the personnel by guaranteeing regular rest and proper documentation,” adding that weekly offs are a necessity, not a privilege.
A police constable said the system has ensured he could spend time regularly with his family, and he encouraged other district police to adopt it. An inspector from Nagercoil sub-division said the system has streamlined the weekly off management at his police station. “We give weekly offs to constables and SSIs every week. We have to offer an explanation to our superiors if we reject the leave requests. The divisional police heads and the SP are monitoring it,” said the inspector.