In a big surprise and a sense of relief to the police personnel in Tamil Nadu, state Director-General of Police (DGP) C Sylendra Babu has on Friday issued crucial orders with the view of benefitting the well-being of the police personnel and relaxing their work structure. In what has become a significant move by Sylendra Babu since assuming the office of the Chief of Tamil Nadu Police, he has brought a major overhaul in the functioning of the police department in the state. 

On Friday, the DGP has announced that the police personnel will be given a weekly day off along with holidays on their birthday and wedding anniversaries. He has issued a circular to the Police Commissioners and Superintendents of Police concerning his order and said that these holidays for the police personnel should be implemented with immediate effect. 

As per the circular, the decision of providing holidays to the police personnel was made keeping in mind their wellbeing. The circular has said, "In the mandatory week-off, the personnel can spend quality time with their family and maintain their wellbeing. If the personnel is working on their compulsory day off, they are entitled to compensation pay." Ever since the DGP made the order, several police officers in the Tamil Nadu Police had welcomed it, and the officers, after a surprise announcement from Sylendra Babu, have said that it will increase productivity and develop a positive attitude and working atmosphere.

The circular has also said that the police officers would share their wishes with a police officer who is celebrating his/her birthday and wedding anniversary over the phone and walkie-talkie devices. The crucial orders from Sylendra Babu have drawn major attention across and beyond Tamil Nadu and hold a precedent for several law enforcement agencies across the country at a high time when the police officers have been experiencing stressed and complicated work culture in enforcing the Covid lockdown and restrictions and maintaining the law and order in their respective states. 

Sylendra Babu's orders have come when the state police department has come under public scrutiny over its aggressive treatment on the public. Such relief through holidays has been an incessant demand from the police officials as several officers in Tamil Nadu had committed suicide owing to severe stress in a hitherto working culture. In 2018, a report from the Ministry of Home Affairs has stated that Tamil Nadu has the highest number of suicide cases among police officers in India. 

According to a report published in March 2020, Tamil Nadu has recorded as many as 11 police deaths in a week, among which six were cases of suicide. It came to the revelations that the police officers are going through several personal and work-related problems including working without proper breaks and unequal workload. The Tamil Nadu government has earlier in 2018 collaborated with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences to start a stress-buster programme for police officers.