The police are an essential force needed in every election for protection and to maintain law and order. However, their demand for ‘election allowance’ during the polls has gone unheard even this time.
They do not have the privilege of going on strike to get their demands fulfilled, unlike other employees. Perhaps this is the reason they are being neglected. Although they work round-the-clock, discrimination is common among police personnel, including presiding officers, taking part in poll duty. All staff on poll duty are eligible to get election allowance except the police. Neither the Election Commission of India nor the state government has considered this matter seriously.
Police personnel, who were in Junior Maharaja’s College premises here before reporting to duty at their designated places, questioned this discrimination strongly.
“We asked our inspectors during the parade to place a demand before the Commissioner and appealed to them to draw the attention of the government as well. But we are unsure if they will do it. How can the government justify not paying remuneration for the election duty we perform,” a constable questioned.
Another constable said that the department is bearing the ‘feeding charges’ by promising to serve food at their designated spot during poll duty but it has not given any assurance about remuneration. “Hence, District Returning Officer C Shikha should place our demand before the government,” he urged.
Echoing their colleague’s voice, a woman constable said that she never got election allowance although she has done election duty for about four times. “Our service is essential, which is known to everyone. We cannot question or go on strike unlike other employees as we have no rights to do so’, she said expressing her helplessness.
Even city Police Commissioner K L Sudheer has no firm stand on it and was unable to provide proper information about how long allowance was given and when it was stopped.
Giving the statistics of police personnel on election duty in the city limits, Commissioner Sudheer said that a total of 4,000 policemen are on election duty, including one each constable in 758 booths, 70 mobile squads, 30 supervisory wings, central paramilitary force, city armed reserve and the mounted horse force. They will be given travel allowance but not election allowance as it has not been released. “I heard it was given around 7-8 years ago and not in recent years,” he said.
