Representational Image | Credits: Kannadiga World
Karnataka state Director General of Police (DGP) Praveen Sood issued a circular on Thursday making the weekly off mandatory for police personnel. The circular comes as part of a measure to lighten the workload of overworked policemen, who have taken on the job of enforcing rules and guidelines to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
A few policemen had written to the DGP complaining that they were not being given leave by their superior officers. Although the rule regarding the weekly off is not new, with similar circulars issued in the past, authorities were not implementing it properly.
However, with the newly-issued circular, the higher officials have now been instructed by the DGP to provide weekly offs to police personnel. The instructions were issued to the SPs, range IGPs, Commissionerates and senior officers at the State headquarters.
“It has been time and again reiterated that mandatory weekly off , spread over all the days of the week by rotation, should be provided to all policemen, except in emergency situation like major bandobast, elections and natural calamities,” the circular said.
A study conducted by Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) a few years ago revealed that 90% of police officers work long hours and 73% of them do not avail an off even once a month. The BPRD concluded that denying a weekly off to policemen not only affects their behavioural pattern, but also takes a toll on their health.
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