Bengaluru constables to get leave on birthdays to spend time with kin

BENGALURU: Trying to reduce work pressure and make life better for policemen patrolling the streets, Bengaluru police commissioner Bhaskar Rao on Saturday issued an order stating that all constables should compulsorily be given leave on their birthdays so that they can spend time with their family.
This will be applicable not only to constables handling law and order, but also those working in the traffic, crime branch and city armed reserve police units.
According to the order, constables can take their weekly-offs on their birthdays while those of assistant sub-inspector and other ranks can avail leave following permission from a senior officer. "Whatever the circumstances, the police station heads should ensure that compulsory leave is given on birthdays," stated the order. Not stopping there, Rao has instructed the station-level officers to personally hand over birthday greeting cards to the constables.
The commissioner's directive comes at a time when a majority of the policemen in the city do not feel great about themselves on two parameters: personal time and social life. The constables complain that their workload takes a toll on their personal, family and social life so much that they cannot even celebrate their birthdays with close relatives. In this backdrop, Rao's directive comes as a game-changer.
There are around 19,000 personnel working in Bengaluru and nearly 6,000 posts are lying vacant. "With too many events happening in Bengaluru, our men are working day and night and many of them get very less time to spend with their families members.