Maharashtra: ASI rank cops demand change in uniform

Police personnel serving as assistant subinspectors ASI in Maharashtra want a change in their uniform They are demanding that brown shoes a brown belt and a circular beret cap be made a part of their uniform like their counterparts in other states Maharashtra Police has one of the largest police departments in the country with a 229962strong force comprising 21291 officers and 208671 personnel It has 104 units including 12 commissionerates and various divisions like the Crime Investigation Department CID State Intelligence Department Railway Police districts SRPF Groups Motor Transport Section Training Institutions etc There are 1165 police stations across the state including MumbaiASIs hold a nongazetted position ranking above a police head constable and below a subinspector The rank insignia for an ASI is one star with red and blue stripes at the outer edge of the shoulder straps An ASI can be an investigating officer Currently there are 5450 ASIs in Maharashtra Police holding a ClassIII rankSpeaking with midday an ASI stated that especially in rural areas an ASI can register and investigate cases like other officers ldquoIn Mumbai an ASI is in charge of many more responsibilities but there isnrsquot much difference in the uniform as compared to that of the hawaldar and constable working under them except for the star and redblue stripes on their shoulder If officers are entrusted with responsibilities their uniform should reflect their status accordinglyrdquo he said Unlike other states there is no direct recruitment of ASIs in the Maharashtra Police They reach this rank after promotion from constableConsequently newly recruited PSIs may have less experience than ASIs ASIs believe that if they are provided with the appropriate uniform their seniors will also respect and honour them accordingly Earlier lowerlevel police personnel were categorised based on their years of servicemdashconstables with one to 10 years hawaldars with 11 to 20 years and those with 21 to 30 years were designated as ASIs However this changed in 2022 when the then police commissioner Sanjay Pandey eliminated the position of police naik for the three aforementioned categoriesPreviously upon retirement ASIs were promoted to the grade level of a soldier and were entitled to wear the police subinspector PSI uniform While this practice was initially implemented it has gradually diminished over time Currently there is inconsistency across regions regarding the application of this policy as some areas are not adhering to the 10 20 and 30year service standards Many individuals with 2223 years of service have not been promoted to ASI rank nor receive the appropriate recognition and attire upon retirement As a result ASIs are now retiring in the uniform of a hawaldar with only the star and redblue stripes distinguishing them ldquoOur demand is straightforward We want the dress code as ASIs in other states This addition would not only ensure that ASIs feel respected while on duty but also eliminate the need for symbolic gestures such as a lsquoSainik PSIrsquo wearing the PSI uniform upon retirementrdquo said another ASI to middayDiscussing this matter with senior officers ranging from PSIs to ACPs a mixed perspective emerged Most officers said that an ASI who has served in the department for over 30 years deserves respect for their tenure and experience and providing the appropriate dress code is essential They believed that the ASIs should be provided with attire similar to other officers as a form of recognition for their serviceHowever some officers asserted that as per departmental protocol every junior officer is expected to respect their senior counterparts respect is already being accordedldquoDuring my tenure as DG I received a request from the SRPF regarding their uniform lanyard colour They had requested that their black lanyard be changed to brown to differentiate it from the Home Guardrsquos uniform which also featured a black lanyard We fulfilled this demand and changed the colour of the lanyard to brownrdquo said Sanjay Pandey former Mumbai commissioner of police and Maharashtra director general of policeAccording to Pandey during his tenure there was a provision implemented where an ASI could be promoted to PSI rank after three years of service ldquoHowever there was never a demand to change the colour of the shoes belt and cap in the uniformrdquo Joint Commissioner Admin Mumbai police S Jayakumar told midday that the matter would be discussed further5450No of ASIs in Maharashtra Police