Agonising duty hours trouble cops

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 24

Heavy traffic rush under scorching heat, coupled with absence of necessary traffic equipment, make the job of traffic cops a daunting task. Even in this scorching heat, traffic cops, divided in groups of four, stand alert for over eight hours every day at the Naraingarh intersection on the GT road. They have only an umbrella to escape the heat wave.

A cop, seeking anonymity, said, “Sweltering heat is not the problem. What disturbs us the most is the long duty hours which stretch beyond eight hours. Many of us suffer from hearing loss. Intense air and noise pollution drives us mad. We have to consult doctors on a regular basis. Over the years, service condition has become slightly irritable.” With the number of vehicles soaring every month, managing traffic in this scorching heat is an difficult task, especially when their booths are warmer than the roads. It is nothing less than a nightmare. Former health minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla has written to DGP Suresh Arora to take stock of the “agonising” long duty hours. “Cops perform duty for over eight hours. The state government must value their human rights. They must be released 45-day salary over and above their annual pay,” she said.