Ranchi: Around 70,000 police personnel across the state reported to duty on an empty stomach on Wednesday as part of their ongoing protest against the state government for fulfilment of their demands.The protest which entered its second phase on Wednesday was called by the Jharkhand police men’s association along with Jharkhand police association (JPA) and fourth grade police employees association. Police personnel, from constable to inspector ranks, assembled near the Ranchi SSP office and registered their protest. A similar protest was also held at various SP offices across the state where police officers, along with fourth grade employees, carried out their duties while on fast.Around 40 officers also sat on a protest in a makeshift tent in front of Khunti SP office in support of their demands. “We will continue our protests in a peaceful manner till our demands are met,” an inspector posted at Khunti police station said.JPA president Yogendra Singh, who has been camping in front of the state police headquarters, said, “Our brothers have whole heartedly supported the protest. Not only the district police but various companies of Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP) and India Reserve Battalion (IRB) have also supported the strike and are protesting in front of their commandant offices.”Singh, however, was quick to add that personnel on law and order duty also reported to duty but they went empty stomach as their support to the protest.Notably, police personnel had launched their protest on February 12 after talks between police association and government officials failed. The protest had started in the wake of state’s failure to keep their word even after repeated assurances. “We have been given assurances after assurances for the last two years but nothing concrete has come out from government’s side. We are not asking the government to approve the demands overnight, we are just requesting government to issue a notification in this regard even if the demands are fulfilled later,” Shambhu Yadav, vice-president of JPA, said.The seven point demand include filling of 1,150 vacant posts of sub-inspector and inspector ranks by giving promotion to havaldars and sipahis, to pay an extra month of salary on the lines of other states, revision of salary as per seventh pay commission recommendations, relaxation in age limit to the dependent or next of kin for compensatory jobs, to implement the old pension scheme instead of the new, to provide medical facilities to personnel on the lines of officers and to implement modified assured career progression as per the seventh pay commission which provides monetary benefits to personnel if their promotion is delayed.

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