Bihar law in peril as 18,000 cops go on mass casual leave

Bihar law in peril as 18,000 cops go on mass casual leave
UNITED NEWS OF INDIA

PATNA, JULY 24: The Bihar Government has threatened over 18,000 police personnel in the state who proceeded on a seven-day mass casual leave at midnight with disciplinary action and termed the strike illegal.

State Home commissioner U N Panjiyar said here today that government has issued a warning to those police personnel who heeded the leave call.

Government has temporarily promoted havildars to rank of assistant sub inspectors, enabling them to register FIRs. Besides, forest officers, agriculture officers, circle officers and gram panchayats have been given special police powers.

Police personnel in the rank of sub-inspector, inspector, sergeant major, wireless operators and others have joined the leave call.

Bihar Policemen's Association general secretary K K Jha claimed that law and order was affected all over the state. Investigations, wireless operations and road traffic regulation were paralysed due to the call, he added.

While the association said the strike was total, Panjiyar dubbed it as partial. Only 42 to 50 per cent of police personnel were on mass casual leave, he claimed, but admitted that investigations and inquiry into cases were hampered.

Jha claimed that besides law and order, all other functions of the police administration were paralysed across the state. Also, despite havildars being temporarily promoted, no FIRs were being lodged as the rules of the Criminal Procedure Code do not permit havildars, who have been upgraded to the post of the ASI, to sign on the FIR, he added.

Jha said the association was forced to resort to the agitation as its negotiations with state chief secretary, state home secretary and state director general of police over the 12-point charter of demands failed to yield any positive result.

Prominent among the demands included introduction of pay scale on the pattern of Delhi Police, better promotional opportunities, rationalisation of transfers and postings, no political interference in the police force, direct posting in the district police force, need-based promotion, medical and privilege pass facilities and adequate resources to police stations in the extremist-affected areas.

This is the seventh strike by the Bihar Police Association.

He said the state government had not invited them for talks even after the agitation commenced at midnight.

A Ranchi report said members of the BPA, numbering about 380, remained off duty following the leave call. Ranchi unit head of the BPA Ashok K Pathak said all members had heeded the leave call. He denied any differences within the association members over the protest call.