With their elder brothers already kicked off IAS Week, the officers of the Indian Police Services (IPS) also got the nod of chief minister Akhilesh Yadav to celebrate their traditional Police Week from coming Sunday.
Due to long list of pending awards, the Governor Bl Joshi would reportedly just honour 71 police officers who were rewarded with Presidents Gallantary Medal for bravery during the annual police parade which will be taken out at Reserve Police lines on coming Monday.
The Police Week has been not celebrated for the last seven years due to infighting between the than chief minister Mayawati and governor TV Rajeshwar. The cancellation of Police Week had not only deprived cops from annual celebration of the Police Department or sops given to them during `Senior Officers Sammelan' but for many years those awarded president's medal for bravery and other services during Independence Day and Republic Day also could not be honoured in absence of police week. Interestingly after much hue and cry it was Mayawati who honoured the officers in a simple function two years back but still the Governor who traditionally felicitate the officers during Police Week was not invited in the function.
The dark cloud over the Police Week started soon after BSP came to power in May in 2007. BSP's differences with the Congress also created a gap between the government and the then Governor TV Rajeshwar but after much hue and cry that year police week was celebrated. However the gap between the two parties further deepened when in traditional speech of Governor, TV Rajeshwar came down on poor law and order front to which the government also reacted within no time. However that gap between the government and governor seems to have resulted into end of police week in the next years.
Besides the above differences, the tussle amongst officers of IPS cadre which started in wake of probe into police recruitment scam and also infighting amongst PPS officers had added to cancellation of Police Week. The IPS cadre is divided into two groups when in name of fulfilling their poll manifesto, BSP Government suspended 25 IPS officers held responsible for recruitment scam held during Mulayam Singh Yadav's regime. Similarly the PPS officers were divided after Mayawati gave promotional seniority to the officers of reservation class which adversely affected the prospects of officers of general category.
When Akhilesh Yadav took charge as chief minister, the IPS officers once again see a ray of hope of getting his approval to celebrate `Police Week’. However, even in 2012 the function could not be held.
In 2013 also, the celebrations is to take part in November but once again the approval kept pending. However, finally, the Government responded by first giving nod to IAS officers and now to IPS officers to go ahead with celebration of Police Week. Sources said that as chief minister Akhilesh wanted to announce several sops for the
Department having in mind of coming Parliament elections hence the programme was immediately finalised before the code of conduct came into force. According to reports, the police week which will be celebrated between February 16 till 19, would start with `Bada Khana’ (Grand feast for all the police personnel Reserve Police lines)followed by Annual Police Parade on Monday. On the same day,
Governor will host lunch for officers. Besides, the IPS Association and PPS Association would hold their meeting on the same day. The conference of the senior officers would also held on Monday and Tuesday but whether Akhilesh Yadav would attend the meeting is yet not been confirmed. On Tuesday, Akhilesh Yadav would hold dinner for the officers. Besides exhibition of handicrafts and other goods, cultural events, a cricket match between IAS and IPS officers would also be held during the four day celebrations.
It may be mentioned that the traditional `Police Week' has about eight decade old history. It was even celebrated with much and fare during Britishers time and was also attended by the first prime minister Pt Jawahar lal Nehru here in lucknow in 1952 when he gave `Police Colour', to the state police. Since 1912 it was either held at Moradabad during winters or in Nainital during summers but from 1941 onwards it was always held here at lucknow during winters.