Pot-bellied cops told to shape up or face action

A chance to shed extra flab through rigorous physical exercise has actually helped a few pot-bellied traffic policemen save their jobs with the Delhi Traffic Police. However, for many others, the two-month-long stint at the traffic police line has turned futile. Subhendu Ray reports.

A chance to shed extra flab through rigorous physical exercise has actually helped a few pot-bellied traffic policemen save their jobs with the Delhi Traffic Police. However, for many others, the two-month-long stint at the traffic police line has turned futile.

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Two months ago, the Delhi Traffic Police had conducted a fitness test on 84 traffic policemen who were oversized. Of them, 25 failed to fit the parameters of the test and were sent to traffic police lines for a rigorous workout to get rid of the paunch. During the tests, their weight, waist and chest size were measured. “In the first round, 11 policemen underwent fitness tests on last Saturday. Eight candidates failed the tests. I have issued an order relieving the unfit ones from road responsibilities,” said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).

The ones who could retain their jobs with the Traffic Police unit are Constables Nirmal, Nirdosh and Dharmendra Kumar, said officials.

The remaining 14 will face the final test on next Saturday. “Those who would not appear for the test would be treated unfit and would immediately be shifted from the traffic police unit,” added Garg. “They will be given postings in some other departments with ‘less responsible’ off-road duties,” the officials said.

Started two months ago, this is an initiative by the Delhi Police to make its traffic unit smarter and fitter. The whole exercise had created a hullabaloo among a section of pot-bellied policemen and many of them went to gyms on daily basis.