General
HISAR: A peculiar situation has come to light in Haryana Police—employees are reluctant to accept promotions. Recently, during a case hearing, Justice Jagmohan Bansal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court remarked that it was unusual for police employees to resist promotions while the govt insists on granting them.
“Promotion is an honour, not a compulsion,” he observed.To understand the reasons, “TOI” spoke to police personnel, particularly those who took voluntary retirement (VRS) in recent months and years. Serving officers, bound by Punjab Police Rules (PPR), cannot openly share their grievances. Some retirees even pointed out that PPR restricts them from voicing their problems for three years post-retirement.Conversations revealed that while promotion from constable to havildar brings only a small salary increase, it imposes heavy financial and professional burdens.
A newly promoted havildar becomes an Investigation Officer (IO), responsible for handling FIRs. For this role, an IO requires basic resources—such as a laptop (Rs 30,000), printer (Rs 10,000), a car (Rs 5 lakh), chair and table (around Rs 2,000)—none of which are provided by the govt.
This adds up to an estimated personal expenditure of about Rs 5.42 lakh. A car, officers say, is essential, as it is impractical to transport accused persons on motorcycles.
Stationery and case-related expenses also weigh heavily. Though the govt offers some relief, it is inadequate. For example, while Rs 2,000 is sanctioned for replies to High Court petitions, officers often spend more and receive only Rs 1,500 after multiple trips to the Chandigarh Advocate General’s office. Though entitled to TA-DA and a roadways pass, many cannot claim them due to excessive workload.Beyond finances, promotion takes a toll on personal life. Investigation Officers often work 16–18 hours a day, far beyond the prescribed eight hours.
Officers also complain of difficulty in getting legitimate leave. Under these circumstances, constables—who can complete their eight-hour duty, return home, and spend time with family without incurring extra expenses—see promotion as a liability rather than an achievement.Significantly, officers hinted at further expenses during investigations and while submitting final reports in court, but details were withheld to avoid contempt of court.
This explains why many police personnel prefer to remain in their current positions rather than accept promotions. The reluctance of police personnel towards promotions is not without reason. Stories of retired officers reveal how additional responsibilities, lack of resources, and rising expenses forced them to take voluntary retirement (VRS) soon after promotions.From havildar to dairy farmerLaxmi Narayan, a resident of Sirsa, joined Haryana Police as a constable in 1998.
On the basis of seniority, he was sent for promotion training in 2018, despite his unwillingness. A year later, in 2019, he was promoted as a Havildar (Investigation Officer). However, Narayan says the training offered no clarity about investigation work and no guidance on operating a laptop or typing. Unable to cope with the new responsibilities, he suffered mental stress.
“The department did not provide a table, chair, laptop, printer or even a vehicle.
The burden became unbearable,” he recalled. While posted in Hisar, he applied for VRS in 2020. His application was accepted without any inquiry into the reasons. “Today I run a milk dairy alongside animal husbandry and support my family with peace of mind. But I regret that instead of understanding my problems, the department simply accepted my VRS,” he said.Saved only pension moneyA similar story comes from Rohtak’s Pakasma village. Sachindra, who joined the police force in 2003, cleared the BNS test for promotion in 2013 and became a Havildar in 2014.
In 2022, he rose further to the post of ASI. But promotions came with heavy costs. “The workload increased so much that I could hardly spend time with my family. I had to buy a car, laptop, printer, chair and table on my own, besides bearing fuel expenses.
In the end, I could only save as much salary as would be equal to my pension after retirement,” he said. Sachindra added that despite being entitled to TA-DA and medical reimbursements, the excessive workload left him no time to file claims.
He eventually opted for VRS on February 29, 2024. Today, he is engaged in farming and animal husbandry.Chose VRS to attend daughter’s weddingIn 2024, a police employee posted on a technical post in Hisar suddenly opted for VRS. When contacted, he declined to speak, citing Punjab Police Rules (PPR), which prohibit personnel from sharing grievances with the media for three years after retirement. However, his colleagues revealed the reason.
According to them, the officer’s daughter was getting married, and he applied for about a month’s earned leave (EL).
The then Superintendent of Police allegedly refused, saying, “Only money is needed for a daughter’s wedding, you send the money.” Shocked by the response, the officer immediately applied for VRS. His application was approved, and he was able to attend his daughter’s wedding.Only five days leave after wife’s deathAnother heartbreaking case was shared by a sub-inspector in Hisar, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
In 2024, after several years of service, he built his first house and shifted there with his wife and children. Soon after, his wife suddenly passed away. He approached the then Superintendent of Police with a request for leave but was granted only five days. Bound by a heavy home loan, he could not afford to take VRS.
On returning to duty on the sixth day, he requested his colleagues not to assign him night duty as his children were left alone in the new house and were terrified after their mother’s death.
Despite his plea, he was put on night duty. “I am heartbroken with the department, but I am continuing the job out of compulsion,” he said.Police union leader questions discrimination in rules, pay and leave policiesThe discontent among Haryana Police personnel over promotions, pay disparities, and leave policies is growing. Dinesh Siwach, State Secretary, Haryana Police Association Constable and Head Constable, has raised a series of sharp questions to the Director General of Police (DGP), pointing out contradictions in service rules and discriminatory treatment compared to other govt employees.Two sets of rules, two kinds of punishmentSiwach said that since January 1, 2016, Haryana Civil Service Rules have been implemented in the police force, even though the Punjab Police Rules (PPR) are already in force. “Police employees are being punished under PPR for trivial reasons such as not wearing shoes, smoking a bidi or cigarette, or not saluting an officer. Why is this happening when Civil Service Rules are already in place?” he asked.He further alleged that under the Civil Service Rules, orders have been issued to cut the Assured Career Progression (ACP) benefits of employees who refuse promotions, yet PPR is still being enforced on police personnel. Highlighting the stark difference in work conditions, Siwach compared the facilities available to civil employees with those of police personnel. “Civil employees get 122 to 124 holidays every year, including Sundays, Saturdays, casual leave, earned leave, and public holidays.
Haryana Police personnel, on the other hand, get only 20 CLs and 20 ELs. Out of these, 95 percent are unable to avail even 20 CLs and ELs in a year,” he said.He added that while police employees never refuse emergency duty, they should be compensated with overtime for working beyond eight hours, as is the case with other departments like Haryana Roadways and others. “If a police employee is in dire need of leave for his family, why is he still denied?” he questioned.Siwach pointed out that the Rajasthan govt has created an online portal for police leave applications, where officers can only approve or reject the leave but cannot alter the number of days applied. “In Haryana, however, a demand for three months leave often results in only seven days being granted. Why can’t a similar transparent system be implemented here?”Citing alarming statistics, Siwach said that 15 to 16 police personnel die every month in Haryana due to heart attacks, heart failure, or depression.
“What efforts are being made to prevent such tragedies?” he asked. He also demanded that the eight-hour duty provision, already in place for Delhi Police, be implemented in Haryana.Pay Parity promises brokenDrawing attention to long-standing salary disparities, Siwach said that in 1976, the basic pay of a constable was Rs 120, while that of a JBT teacher was Rs 100. By 1986, JBT teachers were drawing more than constables—Rs 450 compared to Rs 400. The trend continued in 1996 and 2006, with police salaries consistently falling behind. “In 2014, BJP promised in its election manifesto that Haryana Police would get the same pay scale as Punjab Police, but nothing has been done till date.
Instead, the govt is now cutting the ACP benefits that police personnel were entitled to,” Siwach alleged.