Rajasthan police personnel are planning a mess boycott over salary and promotion issues. However, the Director General of Police (DGP) of the state has termed the move as indiscipline and directed strict action against those involved. The government has also started reviewing the demands of the policemen.
“Some dissatisfied and retired policemen are trying to promote indiscipline in the force. Policemen should avoid them. Strict action would be taken against the police personnel who boycott the mess,” said the order issued by DGP Utkal Ranjan Sahoo.
At the same time, orders have been issued to all range IGs, SPs, and commandants to organize contact meetings in police lines, battalion headquarters, and police stations to provide proper information to the policemen. Senior police officers have also been asked to have lunch and dinner in the mess with the policemen.
The DGP has assured the force that all efforts will be made to fulfill the pending demands. “The police headquarters are fully aware of the problems and demands of the subordinate policemen, and they are being considered seriously. Efforts are being made as much as possible to fulfill the pending demands,” said the DGP in his order.
Notably, police personnel in Rajasthan, particularly those in the constabulary, have been demanding time-bound promotions, as constables in most districts have been waiting for promotions for years. Along with this, they are also demanding the removal of salary discrepancies and making graduation and a computer diploma mandatory eligibility criteria for constable recruitment in the Rajasthan Police.
To push for action on these issues, police personnel in most districts, including the capital Jaipur, boycotted Holi celebrations in police lines and are now planning to boycott the mess.
Meanwhile, the government has started reviewing the demands of the policemen. Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department Anand Kumar said, “Some service-related demands of the policemen have been pending for the last 5–6 years. These include their promotion, salary, and leave-related demands. The CM has taken this matter very seriously and has given instructions to find a permanent solution to all points soon.”
