CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu police personnel between the ranks of Grade-II constables and Head Constables can now take a day off, according to an order issued by the State government on Wednesday. The move is an effort for the personnel to take care of their health and spend quality time with their family, said the order.
The decision was taken after a review meeting held by the police with the government nearly three weeks ago. Chief Minister MK Stalin had promised to provide a weekly off to personnel, said a senior police official, adding that it was much needed as junior-level personnel work up to 14 hours a day with no break.
However, the men and women in khaki are sceptical about the implementation of the order as previous initiatives by various Director Generals of Police (DGP) had failed to take off. Meanwhile, a few personnel said they’d be grateful to receive one day’s pay if they work on a day off. “I prefer working on weekly offs since given the nature of the job, it is impossible to take an off. Sometimes investigations can span weeks and we have to be present,” said S Sundaramoorthy, a constable attached to Aminjikarai police station in Chennai.
Stating the police cannot reject an order from their seniors if asked to work on weekly offs, K Sakthi, a Grade-II constable from the cyber crime wing said, “The order can help us take leave for a few days when it can be managed by others.” Another constable with the traffic wing said, “We are used to these announcements but nothing happens. I will be happy if this is implemented properly.”
Shortage of staff in dept affected earlier initiatives
It is to be noted that DGP C Sylendra Babu had issued a circular on July 31 this year, providing a day off to the personnel and compulsory leaves on birthdays and wedding anniversaries. Meanwhile, years ago, in 2019, the then DGP JK Tripathy had also issued a circular providing a weekly-off to the personnel and to keep them on a rotational eight-hour shifts.
However, owing to shortage of staff, the personnel worked overtime. Former DGP TK Rajendran, in 2017, had also issued a similar circular on weekly offs and compensatory pay to personnel who worked on their weekly offs. However, within just a month’s time, the personnel had to return to work as their pending paperwork had piled up.
International recognition
Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday handed over the ISO certification to DGP C Sylendra Babu. The international certification was awarded by the British Standards Institution to the Police Master Control Room at Egmore. According to a press release, the Control Room monitors helpline numbers 100, 112, and 101. The certification was based on the implementation of modern technology and other equipment.