Resolve pending promotions in police department: PMK

CHENNAI: PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss on Monday (August 3) urged the Tamil Nadu government to resolve the long-pending promotion and seniority disputes affecting police personnel, alleging that delays in policy decisions and prolonged litigation have deprived thousands of officers of timely career advancement.

In a statement, Anbumani said the promotion-related issues in the police department have remained unresolved for over three decades, affecting several batches of sub-inspectors recruited from 1994 to 95. He alleged that instead of taking a policy decision, successive governments had allowed the matter to remain entangled in court proceedings.

Referring to the 1994- 95 recruitment of 1,198 sub-inspectors, he said 98 candidates, who received appointment orders only in 2,000, were denied seniority from the original recruitment year, resulting in delayed promotions. He claimed the issue had also affected officers recruited in 1998-99, 2004 and 2016, who were yet to receive promotions due to the pending dispute.

Anbumani urged the State government to inform the Madras High Court during the next hearing that it would grant appropriate seniority and promotions to the affected personnel and bring the 30-year-old issue to an end.

He also demanded that the government restore 20 per cent reservation for Tamil medium candidates in the departmental sub-inspector recruitment quota by re-enacting the lapsed legislation. Further, he sought parity in special pay, risk allowance, night duty allowance and food allowance for fingerprint experts serving in the police department.

The PMK leader urged the government to form a special committee and resolve all pending grievances of police personnel within a month.