Deputy CM banking on compassion and understanding mantra
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 01 2013: Keeping up with his stated objective of stream lining the functioning of the State Police Department as well as to address the woes and grievances of the rank and file of the policemen, Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam, who also holds the Home portfolio today visited 2nd Bn Manipur Rifles and interacted with all the personnel.

Speaking to The Sangai Express, a highly reliable source said that the Deputy Chief Minister accompanied by DGP MK Das visited 2nd MR and interacted with all the personnel, separately.

Banking on the mantra of addressing the woes and grievances of the policemen with compassion and understanding, the Deputy Chief Minister met the jawans, the JCOs, and officers from the rank of AC to CO separately.

During the interaction with the jawans it was brought to the notice of the Deputy Chief Minister that the ration money for each jawan per month is a meagre Rs 1000, an amount which has not been revised since the last 25-30 years.

Gaikhangam interacting with 2nd Bn Manipur Rifles personnel

This works out to Rs 33.33 per day and on hearing this the Deputy Chief Minister is understood to have said that their grievances regarding the ration money are genuine and reportedly observed "This is not enough to even buy two plates of Khichdi in a day" .

Personnel of Central Para-Military Forces on the other hand receive at least Rs 2000 per month as ration money.

The source said that the Home Minister assured the jawans that the matter would be taken up with the Chief Minister, who also holds the Finance portfolio.

During the interaction with the personnel, the Home Minister also agreed that the housing facilities for the policemen are inadequate.

The Home Minister also opined that the uniform and other items supplied to the personnel are sub-standard without any quality.

The personnel also brought to the notice of the Home Minister that Rs 1000 is given to each JCO once in seven years as Kit Allowance.

This amount too has not been revised since the last 25-30 years.

The Home Minister agreed that this amount is not in sync with the time.

On the part of the Home Minister he instructed the JCOs not to issue out pass to the jawans indiscriminately and at the same time appealed to the jawans not to ask for out pass unnecessarily.

This instruction was issued primarily with the objective of utilising man power judiciously, said the source.

During the visit to the campus of 2nd MR, the Deputy Chief Minister also came across 30 brand new generators which have not been utilised at all.

Necessary instructions were then issued to start using the gen sets instead of letting them stay idle, said the source.

To promote and ensure discipline, the Deputy Chief Minister also asked the personnel to be in uniform as much as possible while on leave or when they have to go home for any purpose.

Senior police officer Sayeed Ahmed also accompanied the Home Minister.