UT DGP Sanjay Beniwal couldn’t help but smile when a burly cop got up to air his grievance. The cops at his police station had decided to pool in money to employ a sweeper but now some of them were not giving their share, he complained.
The 200-odd group of UT cops did not let rank come in their way as they got up, close and personal with the DGP at his first Sampark Sabha, a face-to-face with his troops, at the Multipurpose Hall in police lines, Sector 26.
Shortage of cooks and sweepers in police stations was one grouse that came up over and over again in the 45-minute interaction. The cops also vented their ire at the slow pace at which files move in the reader’s office. They are over-staffed, they even get Home Guard volunteers to work for them, griped some policemen.
Another big concern that came up was of weekly offs. The policemen complained that they were always on duty and did not get any off.
The one concern, which put a smile on the faces of senior officers and forced others to laugh, was the refusal of some police personnel to contribute for employing private sweepers, who come thrice a week to clean toilets at police stations.
DGP Beniwal appeared quite taken aback at the complaint of over-staffing and instructed SSP Nilambri Vijay Jagdale to find out the number of people in the staff of every police officer, including his own at the headquarters in Sector 9. Send those not required in the reader staff to do field duties, he said.
On the shortage of sweepers and cooks in police stations, the DGP instructed DIG OP Mishra to check the allotment of Class IV employees at the level of police stations.
The DGP finally brought a smile on the faces of the assembled cops when he promised them one off every fortnight, saying, “Rest is necessary for every person.”
Welfare schemes
The DGP announced that police personnel of inspector rank will get uniform allowance. He said the services of CTU bus for UT Police personnel would be re-started. He also accepted the demand of police personnel for rank promotion after a service of 16 years, 24 years and 30 years. A constable, who completes 16 years, will be promoted to the rank of head constable while a head constable will be made an ASI after 24 years, and an ASI will be promoted to the rank of SI after completing 30 years of service.
