Maharashtra govt to reduce working hours of women police personnel from 12 hrs to 8 hrs

In a significant move, the Maharashtra government has considered reducing the working hours of women police personnel from 12 hours to eight hours. The Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjay Pandey in an interaction with media persons informed the decision taken by the Uddhav-Thackeray led government.

"We have implemented eight hours shifts for all the women police personnel in the state. It has been reduced from 12 hours shift," the Maharashtra DGP, Sanjay Pandey said.

DGP takes step as women constables rue extended working hours

As per reports, several women police constables had requested the DGP stating that their duty hours are often extended past the specified 12 hours, which impacts their family affairs.

Notably, DGP Pandey after consulting with senior officials had recently issued a notice to the City Commissioners and the district police to avoid assigning night patrolling duty or other such stressful work to the lower rank officers. The DGP had stated in the order that his office has come to know that police officers and constables are being assigned night patrolling or 24-hour duty a day before the weekly off.

Baramati MP Sule laud CM Thackeray HM Walse-Patil for move

Acclaiming Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and state Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil for the initiative, NCP leader and Baramati MP Supriya Sule said, "The Maharashtra government has decided to reduce the working hours of women police officers from 12 hours to eight hours a day. This is a really good initiative taken by the state government as this will help to have better coordination between family and the duties of women officers."

Sule, who is the daughter of NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar, said, "I thank Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Home Minister from the bottom of my heart for taking this decision."

The Pune Rural Police had earlier this month implemented 8 hours duty for women police constables. "If this initiative proves successful, the eight-hour shift will be extended among male police constables as well," a Pune Rural Police official had informed.

As per police, eight-hour shifts have already been successfully implemented for women police personnel in Nagpur, Pune, Amravati and most recently in Navi Mumbai.

(With ANI Inputs) 

Image: CMOMAHARASHTRA/TWITTER/PTI/ANI