Waking up to the threat of rising stress levels in the police force following the shocking case of stress-induced fratricide inside the Vakola police station, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has decided to be more liberal in granting leave applications to policemen. Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio, said that he had issued directives in this regard to Mumbai’s police commissioner Rakesh Maria. On May 2, an assistant sub inspector Dilip Shirke, attached to the Vakola police station, had shot Senior Police inspector Vilas Joshi, after the latter reprimanded him for taking leave. He later took his own life. With the incident shedding light on increasing stress levels and poor working conditions experienced by the police force, Fadnavis said, “I’ve told him (Maria) that leave applications must not be denied under normal circumstances. They must be disallowed only in exceptional situations. He (Maria) has agreed to do so.” [related-post] Following the CM’s intervention, the city police has ordered a review of all pending leave applications. “We have asked DCPs in Mumbai to take stock of the pending applications. If any such application merits consideration, it must be cleared on merit, said Deven Bharti, joint commissioner of police, law and order.” Bharti, however, claimed that already weekly offs for the constabulary were cancelled only in extreme conditions. “Leaves have been cancelled only in cases where there has been a law and order emergency and men are required for bandobast duty.” A police official, however, said that the biggest challenge faced by the force was the bunching up of such application during summer and winter vacations. “We see a sudden spurt in the number of leave applications during the vacation months and therefore it becomes difficult to keep everyone happy. Hence, we look at the reasons behind the applications In case it’s a medical emergency, it gets precedence over a causal visit to one’s native place.” Policemen are entitled to 12 days of casual leave and 45 days of earned leave. Meanwhile, while claiming that his government would look to induct more manpower to overcome staff shortage in the “overburdened force”, Fadnavis claimed that his government would focus more on the use of technology for crime detection and maintaining law and order to reduce the burden on the police. He said that the implementation of the much delayed CCTV project should bring “much relief”. The state government has also taken steps to cut security cover provided to VVIPs. On staff deployment, a senior police officer said, “If one goes by conservative estimates around 100 policemen are deployed at a police station. Of these, 50 percent of the staff are put patrolling vital installations, visible points and checkpoints in their jurisdictions. While 20 percent of the staff is either on their weekly off or leave, many of them are called in for the patrolling duties.” mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com
