State revenue officers seek police security
CHANDIGARH: Revenue officers in Punjab, which includes district revenue officers (DROs), tehsildars and naib-tehsildars have demanded police protection, whenever they are dealing with the public, be it in office or outside.
Vijay Behal, general secretary of Punjab revenue officer association said there have been incidents in the past, when revenue staff had to face tough time in controlling crowds at the places of accidents or protests and sometimes the revenue staff gets manhandled. “If police personnel are attached with us, it would be safe and easy in dealing with the tough situations,” he added.
There are around 300 revenue officers in Punjab - 23 DROs, 120 tehsildars and 180 naib-tehsildars catering to 99 tehsils and 66 sub-tehsils.
In September 2021, then chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh had ordered that security be provided to the revenue officers.
“Subsequently the matter was taken up by the then DGP but the officer holding the charge as ADGP security ordered that the security be provided on demand,” said association president, Gurdev Singh Dham.
Dham added that the provision of “security on demand”, suggested by then ADGP security was not practically possible because the revenue staff has to often move in a hurry to attend exigencies. “There are incidents such as accidents, fires, VIP movement, dharnas, protest, where sometimes situation gets volatile, so a police personal is always helpful in safeguarding the officers,” he suggested.
ADGP security Punjab Police ,SS Srivastava said, “Security is given as per security policy. It is positional and threat based”.
The association, which announced to move on a mass casual leave on Sunday, withdrew the call the same day on the assurance by the state government to address all the pending demands. The association office bearers who met the additional chief secretary KAP Sinha, would meet chief minister Bhagwant Mann on June 6.
Dham said there are other pending demands such as settlement of seniority list, nomination of revenue officers (DROs) to Punjab civil services cadres, withdrawal of chargesheets against the officers even after government has agreed and government vehicles for the revenue officers.