‘Give safe assignments to 55-58-yr-old cops’

Mumbai has already lost 123 cops to Covid-19

Police personnel aged 55-58 years shall not be assigned tasks at the police station, the Maharashtra DGP's office has ordered in view of the rising Covid-19 cases. They should be given jobs at places where there is little to no contact with the public, states its circular. The circular has been issued by Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police (Law and Order) M Ramkumar, who stated that amid the fresh spread of the Coronavirus, cases have also been reported in the police force.

As people aged 55 and above are at higher risk of contracting the virus, police officers or employees in the 55 to 58 years age group who have diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer, blood-related problems or any other serious ailments should not be called to the police station, reads the circular, addressed to police commissioners across the state.

If possible, such policemen/employees should be assigned tasks that can be done from home, like conducting the online training module of the Maharashtra Police Academy, it adds. As a precautionary measure, they should be provided with masks, sanitisers, etc., from time to time. At present, 219 police personnel, including 154 from the city, have Covid-19. Since the Coronavirus outbreak in early 2020, the state has lost 500 policemen, including 123 from Mumbai, to the disease.

A 56-year-old constable posted with the Mumbai police told mid-day that he had worked during the first and the second waves despite being a diabetes patient, and that he is ready to continue working even during the third wave. "I will do the duty wherever the senior officers ask me to."