Visakhapatnam: Police hail government's move

Visakhapatnam: The charts are set for the police personnel working in different shifts to avail weekly offs, a long pending demand that has now become a reality.

While the order is being implemented from Wednesday across the State, the City Police Commissionerate launched the initiative on Saturday itself. The move, initiated by the YSRCP Government has brought smiles on the faces of 2,147 civil plus 850 Armed Reserve Force personnel who heaved a sigh of relief with the implementation of the much-awaited initiative.

After reviewing the pros and cons of the new system and its probable challenges discussed by the committee members, the City Commissioner of Police Mahesh Chandra Laddha has come up with a calendar, catering to the personnel working in general and shift duties. Issuing a circular in this regard, the CP mentioned that it would benefit 2,997 Civil and Armed Reserve Force personnel in the Commissionerate to strike work-life balance effectively.

Welcoming the initiative, ACP West Zone Deva Prasad appreciated the manner in which compensatory offs are being charted out. "In case of any emergency duty that clashes with weekly off, the staff will have to work and take a compensatory off on a lean day. With the launch of the new initiative, the productivity of police will go up in all likelihood," he opines.

The duty-bound police feel that they can now focus on work-life balance better as a scheduled off will aid in attending personal work sans any stress. "Earlier, we would either apply for casual or earned leaves to visit our hometown or carry out personal work. Now, we can apply for leave in a planned and relaxed way," says Ch Simhadri Naidu, Inspector of Police, Police Control Room.

Except during emergency requirement, where the police force is largely dependent on neighbouring districts for the support, the chart set for the weekly offs will continue as scheduled.

While everyone appreciated the move, a section of the staff is apprehensive that it might cast a shadow on the performance of department in view of the shortage of staff and hoped that the focus should be on recruitment as well to fill up the vacant posts.