In an attempt to revive the old tradition of cops sporting big moustaches, Uttar Pradesh police have proposed to hike the ‘moustache maintenance allowance’ of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) by 400%. The monthly allowance for the upkeep of facial, which dates back to the British era, has been revised from Rs 50 to Rs 250.
This allowance was regular until the mid-1980s, after which new guidelines regarding haircut and facial hair were issued to the police personnel, after which most cops began being clean-shaven. However, according to ADG (PAC) Binod Kumar Singh, keeping a moustache will also keep up the morale of the personnel and in turn, they will give a better performance and result.
ADG (Meerut zone) Prashant Kumar told TOI,
“If one carries oneself smartly, it’s an add-on. Sporting moustache is an old traditional and it is a good move if it is being revived.”
Soon after the aforementioned proposal, Meerut district police were sanctioned Rs 50,000 to buy aviator sunglasses to protect traffic police personnel from harmful UV rays and dust on the roads. Due to the budget constraints, the traffic department won’t purchase sunglasses of popular brands, but will source the aviators from a local company.
