Stay fit or for for compulsory retirement: CP Dr Sudhansu Sarangi

Bhubaneswar CP to policemen: Stay fit or face compulsory retirement

Cops given 3 months time to lose weight and return to shape

By Kishore Mohapatra/ Narayan Behera

BHUBANESWAR, JULY 18: The Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate Police (CP) on Friday served a warning to its men to remain fit or face the possibility of compulsory retirement.

The order was given amid reports that some of the policemen were struggling to cope with the challenges posed by Covid-19 management.

“Keeping in mind the present pandemic situation, all should bring in change in their lifestyle and take care of their health,” Twin City police Commissioner Dr Sudhanshu Sarangi said in an order.

“Our staff during their training period do lots of exercise and join the force with ideal fitness. In the course of their duty, they do not take care of their health and face various issues like blood pressure, diabetes and obesity,” he said.

Dr Sarangi has set a three-month deadline for overweight cops with body mass index (BMI) more than 30 to shape up. From next week, all the staff of Commissionerate Police will be put to BMI which measures fat level and prescribes the ideal body weight based on a human being’s age and height. The cops will be intimated in writing about their present BMI and what the ideal weight.

The process will be completed by July 30 and the database will be kept in the police hospital. The next fitness review will be conducted in November to check whether the cops have made any efforts to lose their weight.

If any cop fails to lose weight by November, he/she will be asked to do compulsory exercise every morning or join a six-week refresher course on fitness.

Terming fitness as a mandatory professional requirement, Dr Sarangi has asked all the personnel to strictly follow the instructions and warned of disciplinary action in case of any default.

“Those not taking the directive seriously will face action. Penalties like no increment and forced retirement on health grounds will be handed to such violating policemen,” Dr Sarangi said in the letter.