WEEKLY OFF FOR COPSPilot project launch in Kanpur, Barabanki on August 20 - Hindustan Times
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WEEKLY OFF FOR COPSPilot project launch in Kanpur, Barabanki on August 20

Aug 16, 2019 08:57 PM IST

LUCKNOW A pilot project to grant weekly off to non-gazetted police personnel (constables, head constables, sub-inspectors and inspectors) will be launched in Kanpur and Barabanki from the midnight of August 20.

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Confirming the move, director general of police (DGP) OP Singh on Friday said police chiefs of the two districts have been asked to prepare a plan and issue orders accordingly.

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However, insiders reveal that the weekly off plan is easier said than done. Top cops have been scratching their heads to implement the policy. With no official circular so far, senior cops at Kanpur and Barabanki are mulling a roaster plan to implement the weekly off plan at police stations.

Singh said the findings of the pilot project in the two districts will be reviewed later by a high level committee to further prepare a plan to enforce the weekly off policy across the state.

A similar plan was enforced at Gomti Nagar police station in Lucknow in 2013. Also, another similar plan was initiated at district level in Lucknow in 2016 but it could not be done due to different reasons.

“In previous attempts, police personnel were given offs as per the roaster prepared in alphabetical order at the police stations,” said a senior IPS official. He said the entire force at police station level was divided in 10 parts. Explaining the plan he said: “Let’s say there are 100 police personnel at a police station, then 1/10 cops would be on off daily alphabetically. There is no other way out to provide off to police personnel.”

He, however, stated that it was not called day off but ‘rest day’. “A day to take rest at home and not leave the district at any cost, as they could be called for duty in case of emergency,” he emphasised.

Former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had also announced a similar plan in August 2016 but it could not be implemented effectively and subsequently was shelved.

CONTINUOUS DEMAND

Policemen have been continuously raising the demand for off days for past several years after which trials were done in some districts but the decision had to be withdrawn due to shortage of police personnel. Former Governor Ram Naik had also appealed to the state government to introduce offs for cops during the annual police day in April, 2016.

Moreover, a study conducted by Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) disclosed increase in cases of police atrocities as well as bad behavior due to long hours of work and no weekly offs. The BPRD had urged the state government to introduce weekly offs for policemen.

“A day off will help cops decrease stress level, improve behavior with public and increase job satisfaction and motivation level among them,” said psychologist Manini Srivastava.

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