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‘Happy like the time I got married’: Gurugram traffic cops enjoy first ever weekly off
The decision to give compulsory weekly offs to traffic police personnel in shifts, on Saturdays and Sundays, was announced Friday by Gurugram police commissioner KK Rao.
“This is my first weekly off in 16 years of service. I feel happy, almost like the time when I got married,” said 49-year-old head constable Surinder Singh. Posted at Traffic Tower in Sushant Lok 1, Singh was among the 850 police personnel who got the first weekly off of their careers in the police force on Sunday.
“I can’t believe how good it feels to wake up late, have tea in bed and just chat with my son and daughter about everything and nothing. I have an 8am to 8pm job at the Traffic Tower, which is extremely demanding,” Singh said smilingly explaining how he looked forward to buying clothes and shoes for his family at the Metropolitan Mall and then seeing the Ambience Mall, a place his children claim is so big that one can “just keep walking and walking”.
While Singh was grateful to spend time with his family, he said his offs would also afford him the luxury to organise his documents and life.
As 50% of the force rested Sunday, the other 850 police personnel will get their offs this Saturday. The decision to give compulsory weekly offs to traffic police personnel in shifts, on Saturdays and Sundays, was announced Friday by police commissioner KK Rao.
The top cop had said the decision was taken since “volume of traffic is low on weekends as most companies work weekdays, and hardly any traffic congestion is witnessed on Saturday and Sunday”.
On Sunday, traffic officials at the observation room said that no jams were reported in the city over the weekend and the traffic volume could be managed well even with 50% force on ground.
Being in the traffic police is a demanding and stressful job. Aggression, threats and unacceptable behaviour from people on the streets are professional hazards. Under such circumstance, getting a break, especially on weekends, was a move taken to ensure that police personnel get to de-stress and lead a “regular life” as was the case with 45-year-old sub-inspector Naresh Kumar, for whom the leave meant being able to play the role of a father, husband and son. “I always feel like taking my wife and children to new places, take them out for dinner, shopping and the usual things, but I could hardly ever do that. Now I can,” said Kumar, who is posted at the Power House in Sikanderpur.
His wife Premlata, too, could not contain her happiness. “We had morning tea together after 24 years. He even made breakfast for me. Otherwise on regular days, he simply wakes up and rushes for work and panics when he can’t find his handkerchief and socks,” she said, adding that she plans to make her husband take them to a restaurant on Sohna Road that all her friends have been raving about.
“It will be a fabulous outing and he will enjoy it too. He is so excited to get dressed up and go; he has looked at the mirror and combed his hair six times.”
Appreciating the move, mental health experts and doctors said that strenuous jobs, like those in the police force, keep one from spending time with loved ones and this was bound to take a toll on their mental and physical health.
Psychiatrist Dr Brahmdeep Sindhu said, “Rest energizes. The weekly off will help traffic personnel. They will finally get some time when they will not be answering the call of duty. That feeling of freedom, and not being bound, is crucial for mental health. An off will also help them to prepare for the next week, break the monotony of work and approach their duty with more enthusiasm. An off not only helps an individual personally, but also professionally.”
The sense of freedom was palpable in the home of ASI Pradeep Kumar, who started his day by making ginger tea for his wife, discussed his son’s studies and true to the doctor’s word was “looking forward to the next day at work with a little more zeal than usual”. ASI Kumar had not only hung his clean and crisp uniform, he was looking at it with pride as he stepped out to spend the morning with friends and family.
The day of rest not only worked as a mood elevator for the adults, but children too. “Being with dad on a Sunday is like a dream come true. I took him to a nearby shop, made him buy me chocolates and then took him to the market, where he bought me a cool new cricket bat,” said Prince, son of head constable Rajkumar, who is posted as the zonal officer on Gurugram-faridabad Road, and has been in the service for 20 years.
Professor of Psychology at MD University (Rohtak) Shalini Singh, who has been taking counselling sessions with the police department said, “Weekly offs were the need of the hour. Police personnel also need to take time off. Working long hours with constant stress and in the absence of a weekly off, they get frustrated and become very prone to mental illnesses. Even a day’s rest is extremely beneficial for mental health. This is a timely and humanitarian decision.”
The weekly offs would be in addition to the casual, earned and medical leaves, which policemen earn as they progress in their careers.
“For officers with 10 years of service can take 20 casual leaves and 15 earned leaves, those who have been in the force for 10-20 years can 25 casual leaves and 20 earned leaves. Thirty casual leaves are awarded to those who’ve been in the force for more than 25 years; they also get 30 earned leaves,” Gurugram Police spokesperson Subhash Boken said.
The move—which comes two weeks after the newly-elected Madhya Pradesh government’s decision to offer a compulsory weekly off for all police personnel in the state—is the second initiative of its kind to reduce stress, improve health and job performance of police personnel.
In October 2018, shift timings of Gurugram police personnel were reduced to eight hours from the earlier 12 hours.
“Earlier there was no provision to avail a weekly off. Personnel used to avail their medical, casual and earned leaves. This is the first time traffic officials will get a weekly off, that too on the weekend,” Rao said.
Earlier, in October, their shift timings were reduced to eight hours from 12 hours to ensure proper rest and better performance. There are 1,700 traffic police personnel in the city right now.
Rao added that the move would not affect traffic management, as the volume of traffic is low on the weekends, as most corporate companies work weekdays, and hardly any traffic congestion was witnessed on Saturdays and Sundays.
The decision was taken at a meeting was held at Police Lines Saturday morning, attended by all traffic personnel, including special police officers and home guards. The move comes two weeks after the newly-elected Madhya Pradesh government’s decision to offer a compulsory weekly off for all police personnel in the state.
Rao, along with deputy the commissioner of police (traffic), and assistant commissioner of police discussed a new traffic arrangement plan and directed traffic police officers to not risk their lives by trying to stop speeding vehicles by coming in front of the,. “A constable need not to come in front of any vehicle to stop it. We have asked them to simply note the registration number and inform the fines branch for further proceedings. I do not want to risk the lives of my officers,” Rao said.
There have been at least a couple of cases in the last two months in which an erring driver has hit a policeman at a check post while trying to escape without paying a fine.
During the brief meeting Rao also discussed health challenges faced by the personnel being deployed on the roads. “The traffic policemen are exposed to harsh weather conditions, dust, pollution, heat and cold. These can have an adverse effect on their health. We have organised monthly health camps and regular counselling sessions for them,” he said.
The police have placed 40 traffic posts and 40 prototypes of a special booth — fitted with solar power panels, air purifiers and air quality monitors — at several locations across the city for the traffic police to take a break between managing traffic. Sixty more will be placed within four months, officials said.
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