Will work on constables pay but promote us to Sub Inspector rank

The constables claim they are already doing some of the work of PSIs to ease the load on them. Representation pic/Suresh Karkera

Having waited for their promotion as police sub-inspector for the past four years, around 1,285 constables from Maharashtra on Friday sent a letter to the Home Minister, saying they are ready to work on constable-s salary for the next year due to the financial crisis, but want the promotion.

In Mumbai most constables collect and dispose of COVID-19 bodies. They claimed it is a PSI-s job, but they are doing it to ease the burden on PSIs who have only been signing the documents for formalities. According to a police survey, there is a need of 21,000 PSI rank officers in the police department. The constables claimed that they gave the departmental MPSC exam in 2016 and passed but after four years they still have not been promoted. The government only has to get their medical check-up done and send them for training.

Speaking to mid-day, a city constable said, "On Friday we sent a letter to the home minister saying we are ready to work on constable-s salary for the next year but they should promote us. Constables are doing the work of PSI rank officers. These are requirements in this situation to decrease the load on PSIs."

Another constable said, "In police stations the PSIs have to register First Information Reports FIRs, non-cognisable offences NCs, accidental death report ADR and other complaints. Now they have to deal with the bodies of COVID-19 patients. It is impossible for them to handle this
situation."

Another constable said, "The PSI rank officers gave us a signed permission letter to collect COVID-19 bodies from the hospitals. The doctors also allow us after taking proper papers and if anything happens we call the PSI. For PSIs it is difficult to handle the police station to register complaints and collect COVID-19 bodies."

"We have also submitted 60 MLA letters to Home Minister Anil Deshmukh regarding our promotions of PSI. MLA Sunil Prabhu also helped us. We are ready to work on constable-s salary but at least promote us," said another worried constable.

Another constable said of the HM-s views, "Around 30,000 constables took the exam in 2016 and only 1,285 constables cleared it. Yet we are only receiving assurances from the home minister."

When this reporter tried to speak to Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, he was told the minister was in a Cabinet meeting and would not be able to comment on the issue.

30,000
No. of state constables who took MPSC exam in 2016

1,285
No. of constables who cleared it and await promotion

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