RPI’s Abhijit Gudankush demands better pay, facilities for serving and retired policemen
Pune, June 24 : Republican Party of India’s Khadki block president Abhijit Gudankush has submitted a letter to the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Director General of Police Praveen Dixit, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Ashok Chavan, demanding better pay and medical, housing facilities for serving and retired police personnel in the state.
Gudankush told Punekar News, “I have obtained information under the Right to Information Act (RTI) that police personnel are not given additional allowance for working beyond eight hours shift. Usually a policeman works for about 12-15 hours a day which stretch to over 36 hours during bandobast duties at the time of festivals. However they are not given additional allowance on par with their counterparts from the other government departments. Many policemen have committed suicide because of this.”
Police are one of the most ubiquitous organisations of the society. The policemen, therefore, happen to be the most visible representatives of the government. In an hour of need, danger, crisis and difficulty, when a citizen does not know, what to do and whom to approach, the police station and a policeman happen to be the most appropriate and approachable unit and person for him. The police are expected to be the most accessible, interactive and dynamic organisation of any society. Their roles, functions and duties in the society are natural to be varied, and multifarious on the one hand; and complicated, knotty and complex on the other.
Gudankush also pointed out that only half of the police force gets government accommodation and that too includes very small room. The police colonies are not cleaned properly which leads to spread of disease.
Similarly there are no proper medical facilities. Though serving policemen get insurance cover, there are no such facilities for retired police personnel who serve the force for about 40 years.
Apart from Gudankush other signatories to the letter included Gopal More, Datta Chandane, Nileshbhau Alhat, Praveen Gaikwad, Nitin Gaikwad, Vishal Kedari and Kunal Biwal.
