In a sorry state of things, the next of kin of five policemen who died while performing duty or in some cases, grappling with criminals, are not getting special pension despite Chief Minister Harish Rawat’s repeated announcements on the matter.
A police officer on the condition of anonymity said that the Police department had sent proposals and reminders several times to the State Government on the matter, but to no avail.
“It is important to clear such matters, keeping in view of the fact that they died with uniform on. If the administration continues to be as much nonchalant as they are now it would definitely dent into the law-enforcing force’s morale. To keep their moorings erect is all the more important now, given the fact that the criminals are throwing dare to the cops,” he rued.
The administration has been sitting on the written directive of the Chief Minister to have decks cleared for such special pensions, he added.
As per the report received from the Police headquarters, the names of the policemen who died while on duty are Constable Mahesh Kumar who died on April 7, 2015 in Almora after being shot by criminals, Sanjay Kumar and Girish Chandra who died of the criminals’ bullets again in Almora the same day. Harish Chandra who died of heart attack on January 21, 2015 while doing duty in Nainital and Ramesh Chandra, who died after being hit by an unidentified car on November 11, 2013 in Haridwar,.
Police sources said the State administration is playing double standards vis-à-vis such deaths of policemen.
“They were prompt to clear special pension for the next of kin of the policemen who perished during the great 2013 deluge in Kedarnath. But unfortunately, the administration is sleeping over the same due to those valiant cops who have laid down lives while performing duties on the ground elsewhere in the state. Things are doubly depressing as the Chief Minister’s announcements are not being acted upon. We hope things would change for the better and the tradition of myopic clearance of special pensions would end,” a senior police official said.
However, State director general of police BS Sidhu said, “We are aware of the issue. We have sent proposal to the state government regarding same. We hope that things would be cleared soon from the end of the state government.”
Observers opine that such discriminatory treatment on such a crucial matter would augur ill for the morale of the law-enforcing personnel in the long run. “We all know how difficult a policeman’s job is. Now, things are all the more difficult with the hardened criminals prowling all around.
Taking on them involves risk to their families. They do not care while they don the police uniform. It would be thus right if the administration shows empathy with the bereaved family members of such deceased policemen. Such gesture would not just help them to look ahead into the future but would boost the working policemen to wager everything on the stake of duty, reassured that the government would take care of their families if things so warrant,” an observer said.