The current pathetic and very appalling working conditions of the police constabulary in particular is an issue that needs to be dealt on a priority by Goa’s new Director General of Police Dr Muktesh Chander.
The policemen are made to work long hours which needless to say is taking a toll on their personal lives. We have been witness to a spate of incidents that has exposed the stress related fragility affecting the force. Some of them get a break after many days. On account of the long hours of work related stress a lot of the policemen are grappling with health problems like hypertension, diabetes and depression. The working and living conditions of the staff at some of the police stations and barracks is inhuman to say the least. The uncaring treatment meted out to the police force is a clear Human Rights violation.
Like all other government employees there is no reason why the police should also not get eight hour shifts which will infact increase their efficiency. Goa could emulate the recent Mumbai move where from last month the Kurla and Deonar Police Stations have implemented the eight hour shift for its entire police force. It has been proposed to now extend the same to all the 94 police stations in Mumbai.
Goa has enough policemen, but they are not being rightly deployed. Hundreds of policemen are being assigned to protect and serve politicians and other VIPs beyond their official entitlement. Today policemen have no time left for proper investigation of crimes and street policing which infact are the basic duties of the police force.
The authorities seem to have lost sight that a policeman has a personal life too. A human body can only do so much. One cannot be expected to work over eight hours a day. Even an animal requires rest and, for that matter, not even a machine will function unless it is rested adequately. The Government cannot be a cause for ruining the health and lives of the policemen.
These genuine grievances and pathetic working conditions confronting the police force must be looked into in right earnest. Otherwise, instead of focusing on building bridges and roads, the Government may have to set up on a priority more hospitals to take care of this over worked constabulary, if not more crematoriums, cemeteries and khabrastans for perennial rest of their spent bodies.
