Chennai: Police personnel in Tamil Nadu from now on will get a mandatory weekly off and leave on their birthday and wedding day, thanks to an order issued by Director General of Police C Sylendra Babu on Friday.
Babu, in a circular addressed to all Commissioners of Police and Superintendents of Police, directed them to ensure compliance of this new initiative. He pointed out that police personnel required regular weekly off so that they could maintain their health better as well as spend quality time with their family members.
Police personnel in Tamil Nadu have for long complained about long work hours and punishing deployment schedules with hardly any break. The problem was compounded by vacancies in the Police Department. Attempts to form a Police Association at the constabulary level had repeatedly failed in the past.
The DGP said that the uniformed personnel who are deployed on duty on their “rest day” must be paid overtime duty allowance. They should be granted leave on birthday and wedding anniversary so that they could celebrate the occasion with family members.
He also directed that greetings be extended to the personnel on such occasions through the Police Control Room.
