From scrapping populist schemes associated with the Mayawati regime, the change of guard in Uttar Pradesh has now brought in a change in the dress code for traffic constables and head constables, with the Akhilesh Yadav government deciding to do away with the colour ‘blue.'
From July 1, 2012, the traffic cops will be donning khaki instead of blue. The blue dress code — dark blue, or navy blue terrycot trousers, blue belt, blue beret, white shirt, light blue jacket and black shoes — was introduced by the previous regime in 2008. Blue is also the colour of the Bahujan Samaj Party flag and symbol.
Following the latest dictate of the Samajwadi Party regime, the new dress code of the traffic constables will now consist of white shirt, khaki terrycot trouser, khaki beret, brown leather belt, khaki socks, khaki jacket, white helmet and black shoes, with the emblem of the U.P. police.
Explaining the reason for replacing blue with khaki, IG (Law and Order) Badri Prasad Singh said the committee constituted for looking into the prospect of introducing a new dress code found that the present clothes donned by the traffic constables resembled the dress worn by security guards. “The committee concluded that the similar uniform worn by the traffic cops and the security guards created confusion, and since the traffic police was an arm of the U.P. police, it wasn't appropriate for the traffic police personnel and the rest of the U.P. police personnel to have different dress codes,” Mr. Singh said.
Since the traffic police personnel are transferred from the U.P. police, it was necessary that their dress code should also be somewhat similar, Mr. Singh added. According to the IG (Law and Order), only the white shirt and the beret differentiated the dress code of the constables and head constables of the traffic police from those of the U.P. police.
The new dress code has also been introduced for traffic sub-inspectors and inspectors. Accordingly, instead of wearing a khaki shirt, as at present, the traffic SIs and inspectors will wear white shirts. In other States too, the uniform of traffic inspectors and sub-inspectors was different from the rest of traffic personnel, the IG (Law and Order) said. The decision to replace blue with khaki was taken on Monday, and the new dress code will be enforced from July 1, 2012.
The enforcement of the new dress code will not entail additional financial burden on the Exchequer, as the traffic constables are paid dress allowance of Rs. 1,800 per annum. “They will get their new clothes stitched from this amount,” Mr. Singh added.
Published - May 22, 2012 03:23 am IST
