Chhattisgarh police personnel's kin hold protest for better facilities, allowances

At least 81 women family members of lower rung police personnel in Chhattisgarh were detained today while they were protesting for various

demands here, police said.

They were demanding better housing facilities, allowances, fixed duty hours and weekly offs, among other things.

Police also detained over 150 activists of at least three political parties, including the main opposition Congress, for trying to support the agitation.

Family members of the police personnel, who gathered at the Idgaah Bhata ground in the city, were picked up as they were trying to hold a protest despite being denied permission, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Prafulla Thakur told PTI.

 

"As many as 81 women members from families of the police personnel were held under preventive measures and were taken to makeshift jails set up on the outskirts of the city," he said, adding that they were released later unconditionally.

Moreover, 40 workers of the Congress, 70 of the Janata Congress Chhattisgarh, and 15 workers of the Bhaujan Samaj Party, who had arrived at the spot to back protesters, were also taken into custody, the officer said.

One of the protesting women told reporters that monthly allowances being paid to the police personnel in the state are very low.

"Only Rs 100 is being given per month for nutritious food. How can one buy nutritious food in such a minimal amount? We have demanded an allowance of Rs 3,000 per month for nutritious food," the woman said on the condition of anonymity.

Raising eleven demands, the women demanded that the police personnel be paid allowances for doing over-time duty and towards medical, laundry, mobile, ration and travel purposes.

"When the state government can merge shikshakarmi teachers into the school education department and increase their pay then why can't they do it for the police personnel too who discharge their duty 24x7 without any rest?" asked another protester.

She claimed they were "threatened" and served with notices asking them not to hold the stir otherwise their family members in the police department will either be suspended or dismissed.

The woman said the agitation would continue until their demands are met.

In view of the protest, police had barricaded all important roads leading to the state capital from the dawn.

A senior police official said on condition of anonymity that the protest started a couple of days back after a dismissed police constable from Bilaspur district, Rakesh Yadav, had raised various issues targeting the administration and police authorities on the social media.

Subsequently, Yadav was arrested on June 22 from Surajpur district, he said.

Senior police officials believe that the government's decision to merge 1.8 lakh Shikshakarmis (panchayat and urban bodies teachers) into the cadres of School Education department acted as a trigger for the protest.

Police personnel who were either dismissed from service or were placed under disciplinary proceedings for various reasons had added fuel to the dissent among the police constables leading to the protest by their families, a police officer said.

Several policemen have been served with show-cause notices in the last one week in connection with demonstrations held at several places in the state by their family members, he said.

Alone under the Bilaspur police range, 112 police personnel were served show cause notices while two each were suspended, dismissed, and line attached, he said.

Home Minister Ramsewak Paikra said the state government has been fulfilling the demands of police personnel with due sensitivity.

"The government is doing its best to improve the facilities for police personnel deployed in naxal affected districts as well as posted in other districts," Paikra said.

"Considering their challenging and relentless duty, the government has been providing them an extra salary for one month. There is also a provision of 15-day leave for emergency, apart from other government leaves," he said.

The police personnel are provided modern weapons and equipment to enable them to discharge their duties effectively, Paikra said while citing various other facilities being provided to the police personnel by the state government.

Meanwhile, the opposition Congress has came out in support of the protesters and said it would fulfill the demands if it comes to power after Assembly elections slated to be held later this year.

"The BJP government has done nothing for the welfare of police during its 15 year rule, as a result of which discontent has erupted among their family members," state Congress president Bhupesh Baghel said.

"Preventing police personnel and their families from holding protest is the violation of their democratic rights. Congress supports the legitimate demands of the police personnel," he stated.

Baghel said if voted to power, the Congress will ensure that the police personnel get regular weekly offs and work in 8-hour shifts, besides getting wage allowances.