Hyderabad, August 05: It was a system supposedly abolished long ago. But the orders have been confined to paper and menial servitude is an all-too-glaring reality.
Lower-level police personnel — constables and Home Guards to be precise — are still posted as “orderlies” at the homes and offices of senior police officials, doing chores ranging from purchasing vegetables to even sometimes polishing the shoes of officials.
That they are subjected to the whims and fancies of the officials is manifestly clear from the latest incident in which State Armed Reserve (SAR) Constable P Muralinath died while returning from New Delhi after being posted as a driver to Octopus chief Vivek Dube’s family.
Muralinath’s relatives allege that the death was caused by harassment at the hands of the Dube family.
Admitted a senior police official: “It is just the nomenclature that has changed but the `orderly’ system still prevails. They are now sent to the offices and residences of the higher authorities in the name of office boys, security guards or drivers.’’ Said a Home Guard, requesting anonymity: “The actual work we do is not security-related but errands such as buying vegetables, and dropping or picking up children and grandchildren of officers to and from school. Then there’s serving tea or lunch to guests.’’ The most demeaning work is washing clothes and polishing shoes of officers, and sometimes even of their children.
“Even after doing all these chores, which we are not supposed to do, we are ill-treated and forced to work late into the nights,’’ said a constable of the SAR, CPL Amberpet.
“My boss used filthy language against me for petty reasons,’’ revealed a traffic constable of the city police who worked as an “orderly’’ at the IPS officer’s office.
Whereas SAR personnel are meant only for treasury escort and escorting prisoners or convicts to courts, they are assigned “orderly’’ duties.
Meanwhile, Home Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy has said the Government would not spare any officer using subordinates for “personal purposes’’ and illtreating them.
–Agencies–