By citing the example followed in the neighbouring State of Kerala, the High Court of Madras has pulled up the Govt. of Tamil Nadu asking it, why it wasn’t regularizing the duty hours of policemen on duty.  “Why can’t they be allowed to work for 8 hours a day instead of working throughout the day,” the Court has asked.

The High Court was hearing a case on resolving issues faced by policemen and constituting a committee to look into their grievances when it made the above-said comments.  Justice Kirupakaran not only condemned the State Govt.’s attitude in this regard but also had words of advice for the State to follow.

“There are 18,000 vacancies which are to be filled up in police department; this being the case, 10,000 policemen are posted to work in superior officers’ residences to work as orderlies.  Ironically enough, they are working as orderlies even at residences of retired police officials.  This is unpardonable and all of them should be withdrawn immediately,” the Judge directed.

Justice Kirupakaran also took social activists to task.  “When they can raise their voices in favour of the accused in many cases, why don’t they support policemen in other cases?” he wondered and granted the State six weeks’ time to respond on the question of setting up a Commission presided over by a retired Judge to formulate effect stress-reduction ways for the welfare of policemen on duty.

“Why not the 8-hour duty regime followed in respect of policemen like it is done in neighbouring Kerala,” the Justice asked and directed the Govt. to filed with the Court a detailed statistics giving the number of cops on duty and the ration of their strength to population in each locality.  The next hearing in the case was postponed to 13th June.