It has been announced that the Government will increase the salaries of public servants in the next budget to be presented in Parliament on November 12.
As police personnel are also public servants, it has to be conceded that the approval of the National Council for Administration and the Police Commission both appointed President Kumaratunge will not be bypassed. Hence, as a citizen of this country, may I appeal to the Chairman of both these Institutions - not to consider the average policeman merely as another public servant when approving a salary increase. He is neither another pen-pusher.
There should be a substantial increase salary-wise more than that of personnel of other Government institutions in view of the extraordinary duties they are expected to perform and that too under trying circumstances. As we all know, it is often a 24 hours duty with great stress and risks to their life, no other public servant is expected to perform.
Lunch and tea-break a public servant daily enjoys is alien to the average policeman.
I had the rare opportunity of witnessing a true incident, where the OIC of a Southern station went to his quarters a few yards away at about 2.45 p.m. to have his lunch. When he was half way partaking of his meat a constable came to say that a Buddhist monk had come to the station wanting to meet the OIC immediately, even after being told that the OIC-was at his quarters having lunch. Interrupting his lunch, the OIC rushed to the station and returned to his quarters only in the night.
Incidents more exacting than this could be quoted to illustrate under what trying circumstances a iceman has to work almost daily.
There is still frustration among a sector of the police over the recent promotions. A significant salary increase will certainly go a long way to appease the situation.
We should take the example of the developed countries in this regard, where the police personnel are paid a substantial salary so that they could maintain their dignity and integrity when performing their duties. Hence, the authorities in Sri Laka, if they desire to have a clean, supportive and satisfied police force, should place the policeman on a higher salary scale leaving them to be independent financially.
