Rajasthan policemen boycott mess food, shave head to protest pay cut

The Police personnel in Rajasthan have boycotted mess food and wore black ribbons on the shoulder to protest against the salary deduction order by the state government.

Rajasthan is one among the states where 7^th pay commission has not been implemented and it was reported that Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje may soon give salary hike to over 8 lakh government employees in wake of assembly elections next year.

But before that, the BJP led state government has ordered slash in the salary of policemen who joined after 2006. The move angered the state policemen and to protest the government's order, they boycotted mess food. Some of them shaved their head.

They also threated to go on mass leave if the government doesn’t listen to their demands.

“We work for 24-hours a day with no week offs, there are hardly any perks we got, but despite a hike, the state government has ordered to decrease our pay,” said a Rajasthan Police head constable.

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“We will work but not have food. If needed, will go on mass leave but won’t accept this,” said another on the condition of anonymity.

“Even if the 7^th pay commission is implemented, the new order would further make our salaries lesser than what we were getting now,” he added.

The state of Rajasthan will have assembly elections next year and the Vasundhara Raje government is planning to implement the 7^th pay commission in the state before that.