leader of Opposition in the State Assembly and senior State BJP leader Ajay Bhatt accused the Congress led State Government of continuously ignoring the genuine demand of policemen. “They are squandering away funds on arranging cabinet meetings at several places in the State and on organising Assembly session in Gairsain, but when it comes to address the just demands of the police for pay hike they put the excuse of the cash-strapped State coffer,” he said while reacting to a section of policemen wearing blue ribbons on their sleeves by way of protest against the State Government not upgrading their salaries in tune with the Sixth Pay Commission. “It is a matter of shame that around 21,000 policemen who are sweating hard to maintain law and order and check crimes are suffering because of the State Government’s myopic discrimination,” he said, adding that his party would stage rallies and hold meetings in support of the policemen's demand across the State.
The BJP senior leader questioned why the State Government is sitting over the police’s grievances when it had addressed pay anomalies of the similarly ranked employees of other departments. “While others are drawing salaries revised under Sixth Pay Commission since 2006 a large section of the policemen are being kept at bay. This is an extreme instance of step-motherly discrimination,” Bhatt said.
“Even in police, such discrimination is glaring. Recently, the Chief Minister Harish Rawat had given benefit as per six pay commission to the inspectors and sub-inspectors. But the same is being denied to a large number of police personnel. True, police should not ideally go for any stir. But we understand their predicament. Their patience is wearing thin,” he said.
He said the ruling party has nominated a large number of party workers as position holders a process that is denting into the exchequer. “It is a pity that while the State Government is not hesitating to spend crores to keep the position holders in good humour at the expense of the State’s exchequer they cite fund crunch while addressing the policemen’s grievances,” he said.
He wondered why the State Government had brought the issue before the double bench of the High Court after the single bench had given its verdict in the favour of the aggrieved policemen.
“Things warrant the State Government to promptly address their demands at
the administration level instead of seeking to browbeat them into submission,” Bhatt said.
“We know senior cops are threatening the agitating policemen. This is a wrong approach and we condemn it,” BJP leader said, adding that if they do not mend ways and go for corrective actions they, on their part, would launch a State-wide agitation to express solidarity with the aggrieved policemen.
Meanwhile, members of Narendra Modi Vichar Manch staged rallies at Parade Ground in support of the agitating policemen. They sloganeered against the State Government.
An association member Santosh Sati said they had earlier submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister through district officer, demanding redressal of policemen’s concerns, but to no avail.
The association will intensify its stir if policemen’s demand is not met immediately, he warned. Others present in the protest were Vinit Semwal, Amit Semwal, Deepak, Dinesh, Subham and a dozen others.