We are out on the street every day, take salaries of those working from home: Mumbai cops

Police during a bandobast at Dahisar check naka in April. Pic/Satej Shinde

The state government recently ordered that two days' salary of IAS officers, all government employees and the police department be cut to contribute to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund and the decision has not gone down well with the state's policemen.

Cops are protesting via social media and urging Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to not deduct their salaries. The order regarding the deduction was issued on May 7 by Mantralaya. The Maharashtra police have a strength of nearly 1.95 lakh, including 15,000 women personnel.

Police personnel have said that the government should deduct money from people who are working from home, those who are doing eight-hour shifts and five-day weeks. They have argued that they are frontline workers, with 68 state police officers having died of Covid-19 in the line of duty in April and around 422 in the past year.

A policeman from the city said, "We are working day and night on the road to save people's lives. One day's salary is also very important to us as our families are living in the villages. In the CM's office, only 15 per cent of staff is coming in to work, the rest are working from home. The government should deduct their salaries."

A constable from the city said, "Amid Covid-19, police, healthcare workers, doctors, BMC officials and cleaners on roads are frontline workers. These people are giving their 100 per cent and are out on the field every day. Their salaries are important for their family."

Another senior police officer said on the condition of anonymity, "Half the salaries of those working from home should go to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. Police, CRPF and Home Guards have helped the government fully. The police department never gets extra salary. The police want to help the state with their service, but not at the cost of their salaries. We also requested the department to not deduct salaries."

Another officer said, "In the city, MPs and MLAs are never seen on the road, helping citizens. The government should deduct their six months' salaries for the Chief Minister Relief's Fund."