Washim: The 70-year-old familiar blue 'futing' cap worn by Maharashtra Police has got a new look. The earlier cap was heavy and it took considerable effort on the part of police to keep it on.
But the new, utilitarian 'baseball' design has taken care of this issue. The old cap will now only be worn during inspection and parades, while the new one will be used at work.
A notice had been issued to the heads of all police units, directing them to provide the new caps, by the director general of police, Subodhkumar Jaiswal, on April 24. The new cap was first introduced in the Mumbai Police force about two years ago.
“Many a time, it has been found the older cap cannot be used by police personnel riding bikes as it gets blown away in the wind. The new cap is comfortable, has a snug grip, which will not fall off in the course of duty and will also shield their face from the sun," the circular stated.
The DG's letter had further stated, the old cap will now be donned for ceremonial purposes only, while the new 'baseball' cap will be the one used at work.
"These caps will be worn by all ranks from hawaldars up to assistant sub-inspectors. This cap will be exactly as per the sample specifications. No changes will be made to the new ones," says the notice. The new headgear has been designed by the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad.
There were complaints from the department about the old caps and the difficulty in handling them as these would easily slip off the head.
