Rs 195, 3 metres of cloth: Uniform grant for a Delhi constable

NEW DELHI: A Delhi Police constable can only get a sleeveless shirt and a pair of shorts stitched with the cloth and allowance given to him.

NEW DELHI: A Delhi Police constable can only get a sleeveless shirt and a pair of shorts stitched with the cloth and allowance given to him.

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An RTI reply shows that policemen from the rank of constable to inspector are given only 3.04 metre khaki cloth for stitching their summer uniforms in a year. Apart from this, they also get a meagre annual stitching allowance of Rs 195. The plea was filed by Aniket Gaurav in April this year.

Officials complained that neither the cloth, nor the allowance was enough to meet their needs. They often end up paying for it from their own pocket.

“Rs195 is barely enough to get one set of uniform stitched, let alone uniform for the entire year. People like me, who are 6’3 tall, can only get half pants stitched with the cloth we get.

“In this job we need to be in our uniform all day long, so there should be a provision to increase the allowance,” said a head constable, seeking anonymity.

In north Delhi’s GTB Nagar, the biggest market for police uniforms, the cost of stitching a pair of uniform is Rs 500. In Delhi Karol Bagh, the price ranges from Rs 300 to Rs 600.

Gaurav said the RTI reply points out a major disparity in the uniform provisions for staff from the rank of constable to inspector and senior officers.

“Officers below the rank of ACP are generally on field duty and are more exposed to heat and dust. They do not sit inside air-conditioned rooms. However, when it comes to paying uniform allowance, the department gives them a mere Rs 195,” he said.

The RTI reply states that an officer of ACP level of DANIPS (Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Police) is entitled to an initial uniform allowance of Rs 4,800 for three years, with kit maintenance allowance of ` 160 per month.

“After three years the officer is given a renewal of Rs 2,000 for the next three years and the same kit maintenance,” the reply read.