RPN Singh, union minister of State for Home Affairs told HT policemen and policewomen have a very difficult task at hand, especially in the context of the long duty hours that they work.
Excerpts.
Police personnel seem to be working in very difficult conditions. Your comment.
Policemen and policewomen have a very difficult task at hand, especially in the context of the long duty hours that they work. While the situation would differ from state to state, I emphatically believe that, on average, police personnel deserve better facilities… a better deal.
Don’t the poor working conditions affect the quality of policing too?
There will definitely be an impact. Studies way back in the 1970s too estimated that, on average, police personnel spend anything between 10 to 16 hours at work, day after day. This is certainly not something that bodes well for the efficiency of the police.
If everyone has known what the problem is for so long, why has the Centre not taken steps to remedy the situation?
The Centre has announced a Rs 2,000-crore modernisation plan for police forces across the country. But policing is a state subject and they have to implement it. We do send them advisories on this. We want states to introduce technology into their processes to help cut working hours and improve policing standards.
{{/usCountry}}The Centre has announced a Rs 2,000-crore modernisation plan for police forces across the country. But policing is a state subject and they have to implement it. We do send them advisories on this. We want states to introduce technology into their processes to help cut working hours and improve policing standards.
{{/usCountry}}Also, we commissioned a study to look at the possibility of introducing a shift system. The decision to introduce shifts is in the domain of the states and would require a drastic increase in the number of police personnel. But even existing vacancies have not been filled.