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Chief Minister announces sops for policemen

CUTTACK: The beleaguered policemen of the State would not have asked for anything more. On Friday, the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced sops for the State policemen who had been demanding for better pay packages and other incentives since long.

Patnaik, also the Home Minister, opened the state coffers for the policemen in an election year and the packages turned out to be manna from the sky for the men in khaki. Worried over the strike threat given by the two powerful police associations from July 1, Patnaik yielded to some demands of the cops but that did not satisfy all.

Joining special conventions organised by Orissa Police Association (OPA) and Orissa Constables Confederation separately on Friday, the the Chief Minister announced packages for the policemen which range from diet to kit allowances.

He made it clear that an additional 71 new police stations would be opened soon and the existing vacancies would be filled up soon. Patnaik said with the new recruits, the strength of the force would be increased to 54,000 from the existing 40,000.

About 21,000 constables would be promoted as assistant sub-inspectors, two new armed battalions; one security battalion would be raised in the State. The police training institute personnel would get a 15 per cent special incentive while cops in naxal afflicted areas would get an additional 10 per cent hike in their special pay, the Chief Minister said. He also announced several other sops which include some relaxations for the family of the policemen who have lost their lives fighting the naxal menace. The Chief Minister first attended the constables’ convention which was presided over by its chief Padmanav Behera. The OPA convention was presided over by its chief SM Sharma. Director General Gopal Nanda and home secretary T.K.Mishra were present at both the conventions as guests of honour.

Claiming that their genuine demands were being repeatedly ignored, the force had served an ultimatum to the State government early this year. The two frontal police bodies had threatened to take one day mass casual leave (CL) on July 12, on Bahuda yatra of Lord Jagannath, if their demands are not fulfilled by June 30.

The OPA, consisting of some 6,000 officers in the rank of ASI, SI and Inspectors had decided to wear black badges from July 1. They had even threatened to perform the famous Rath Yatra duty by remaining empty stomach.

Despite the sops, the Chief Minister however, did not mention anything about the two contentious issues the OPA had raised on banning direct entry at DSP level and class II gazette status to sub-inspectors like that of forest rangers.

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