Chennai, Nov 4 (BPNS)

Police personal of Tamil Nadu are skeptical on whether the department would implement the Government order issued on Wednesday regarding weekly off to personal between the rank of Constable Grade –II to Head constable.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had during the election campaign of 2021 promised a one day weekly off for police personal in the rank between Grade II constable and head constable and on Wednesday the Government issued an order regarding the same.

The GO states that move is an effort for the police personal to take care of their health and also spend quality time with their family.

A police constable generally has to work 14 hours without any break and in most cases the possibility of the superior officers granting a weekly off is remote. Most of the policemen are skeptical about whether they will actually get a weekly off.

While speaking to BPNS, a police constable working with Chennai city police and who does not want to be named said, “ Earlier also the Government and DGP’s had issued orders for providing one day weekly off to policemen, but it was never practically implemented and I don’t think that it will happen even now as our job is like that.”

He said that most of the policemen prefer a compensatory salary on the weekly off which is more practical.

Tamil Nadu Director General of Police, C. Sylendra Babu has also ordered compulsory off for police personal on their birthdays and their wedding anniversaries.

Policemen are of the opinion that two former DGP’s, JK Tripathy and TK Rajendran had tried similar reforms but nothing happened as the senior officers used to cite shortage of personal and pending investigations as the reasons for not granting weekly off to the personal.

Most of the policemen believe that the government would take into account the points raised by the policemen and implement the order at the earliest.