Men in Khaki gets a raw deal, again !

Police personnel deployed on Bandobast duty during elections yet to get special allowance, thanks to botch-up work done by few babus 

By Dheeraj Fartode 
One month after smooth conduct of Lok Sabha election in Nagpur city, police personnel, who had worked hard for to ensure a free, fair and troublefree election, are yet to get their election allowance, thanks to mess created by few babus.
This is not for the first time that lower rung police personnel are treated with such disdain and disrespect by bureaucracy and their own superior officers. While other staffers drawn from various departments and education sector, got their allowance, police staffers who were on bandobast duty, have been left high and dry.
Sources informed that election bandobast plan, which was made by the city police also had flaws and there was mismatch between number of personnel deployed, reserved and actual availability on papers. This had naturally angered the constabulary who are cursing their own superiors for shoddy deal meted out to them vis-a-vis others.

Deputy Returning Officer and Additional Collector Pradeep Dange told ‘The Hitavada’ that district returning officer had sanctioned deployment plan of the bandobast, which was submitted by the offices of City and District Police administration. District Returning Officer and EC officials had approved the plan as it is. And, allowance as per the deployment plan was given to the City Police Commissionerate way back on April 10, he said. As per Election Commission’s norms, election allowance worth Rs 800 per constable/Home guard, who were on duty at polling booths has been been given on the spot along with remaining members of the polling party.
Remaining amount of allowance to be paid to police personnel deployed as per approved plan has been credited to Police Commissionerate for disbursement. District Administration is ready to give remaining amount, if the deployment plan was faulty and more personnel were deployed than planned number, he said.
According to reliable sources, staff of traffic police department, which was deployed for the election duty, reserved police personnel and police personnel of control room are yet to get the election allowance.
However, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP-Special Branch) R L Pokale claimed that allowances as per the deployment plan have been given including reserved police personnel and those working with control room. Only 305 personnel of traffic department are yet to get the allowance as the traffic branch had sent faulty list of police personnel. “We have directed the traffic branch to send proper list of deployment. Allowances will be disbursed when the list is received,” said DCP Pokale.
Joint Commissioner of Police Sanjay Saxena also confirmed the information and said that the allowances will be disbursed within one or two days.
Ramesh Mehta, Secretary of Maharashtra Sewanivrutta Police Adhikari Kalyankari Association condemned the injustice towards police personnel and flayed this approach of depriving police staffers from getting their legitimate dues.