Policing for peanuts

Words have a way of coming into fashion unannounced. In September 2006, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh remarked, “Unless the ‘beat constable’ is brought into the vortex of our counter-terrorist strategy, our capacity to pre-empt future attacks would be severely limited.” This was quickly picked up by the media, and the “beat constable” was placed in the centre of the public debate on national security.

There is, however, a disconnect between what the prime minister says, and what the Government does. The police constable currently earns between Rs 3050-4590, at par with lowest categories of government employees. The Sixth Pay Commission, in its great munificence, has recommended a hike of about Rs 150-310 in the constable’s scales, increasing his pay to between Rs 3200-4900. This is the bright side. Many states have scales well below centrally stipulated levels. Gujarat, for instance, has a current scale of Rs 2750-4400. There are rare exceptions, like in Kerala, where the scale stands at Rs 5930-9590.

Not only are constables grossly underpaid; they suffer abysmal working conditions. Across India, “housing satisfaction” for the police — the proportion of serving personnel who are provided family quarters — stands at a disgraceful 29.3 per cent. In India’s capital — boasting “global city” ambitions — it is an even lower 19.97 per cent. Thus, a majority of constables leave their families behind in their villages, seeing them rarely, on grudgingly provided leaves of absence. Those who bring their families to their place of posting, particularly in cities, end up living in illegal slums and tenements. Thus, the very condition of their daily existence constitutes a breach of the law!

Working conditions are no better. Outside the metropolis, facilities in police stations are, at best, rudimentary. In rural areas — particularly in ill-governed states — the police operate out of structures that are often worse than cattle sheds. Here, a BPR&D study notes, “across the country... they are asked to put in consistently 16 to 18 hours of duty on a continuous basis”. In many police stations and posts, far from fighting the terrorists and insurgents they are routinely pitted against, policemen lack even the minimal capacities to defend themselves. Since a majority of constables retire at the rank at which they join, only a small proportion attains the rank of head constable; a miniscule number rises to the rank of sub-inspector or inspector. Career frustration adds to this deadly cocktail.

... contd.

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