Are drinking water, sanitation facilities provided to traffic cops at duty sites: HC asks police

The Delhi High Court has asked the Commissioner of Police whether facilities, including drinking water, sanitation and medical check-up, are being provided to traffic police personnel at their duty locations.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar said these are only the "bare minimum" facilities that are being sought in a PIL for traffic police officers.

It directed the police commissioner to file an affidavit in response to the court's query before the next date of hearing on September 27.

The direction from the bench came after it perused an earlier affidavit filed by the police stating that it provides "a big water jug and a small water jug" to on-duty traffic personnel.

The court was hearing the plea that was filed by an NGO, Legal Forum for Women. It has sought drinking water, sanitation and health care facilities be provided to traffic police officers at their duty locations.

The officers, who work in high pollution levels and extreme weather conditions, are not provided with benefits such as insurance and ex gratia, the NGO claimed.

Queries under the right to information law have revealed that neither the Ministry of Home Affairs nor the Delhi government has any such scheme to provide health benefits, water or sanitation to police officers here, it alleged.