Irked with meagre off-duty working allowance, Nanded constable asks CM, DG to use it for government

Irked with the meagre allowance paid to the constabulary for working on an off day, a constable from Nanded has shot off a letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and director general of police Sanjeev Dayal, informing them that if he can't be paid daily allowance as per his salary, then they should just put that money in the government's account.

Constable Vishwanath Nampalle is posted with the Hadgaon police station for the past three years. "I have a personal request to you... I don't want the allowance that I get for working on my weekly off. If you give me a day's salary, I'm ready to accept that," states the letter written on Thursday.

It also says as per the labour laws if a person works for eight hours, s/he is entitled for a day's salary. "So if one works on their off day, why a day's wage should not be paid (to that person)? If we work on an off day, is it different or more comfortable than the other working days?" asked Nampalle in the letter.

"From now on, the allowance of Rs68 that I get (for working on my weekly off) should be deposited in the government's account and I should be given a receipt for it," the letter concludes.

Speaking to dna, Nampalle said, "Even though we are working on an off day, the effort and hours put in are the same, if not less; why then should we get such meagre allowance? My salary is around Rs24,000 a month, which comes to around Rs800 per day. We should be given an allowance in accordance to our daily salary."

"We try to ensure that leaves of our men are not cancelled. I have not seen the letter yet. Once we examine the letter only then I will be able to comment on it," said additional director general of police, administration, Prabhat Ranjan.