CAR personnel deployed at locations such as Vidhana Soudha (in pic), sports stadiums, and protest sites are often unable to leave their posts for lunch because of operational commitments.
| Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K
A group of Bengaluru City Armed Reserve (CAR) personnel has approached the Karnataka State Police Complaints Authority (KSPCA) alleging disparity in welfare measures and seeking hygienic food facilities on par with their counterparts in the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP), prompting the authority to urge the State police chief to examine the feasibility of introducing a departmental meal system.According to the representation, CAR personnel deployed at Vidhana Soudha, sports stadiums, protest sites, and other such locations that require constant monitoring, are often unable to leave their posts for lunch because of operational commitments. They spend between ₹80 and ₹120 a day on meals, and are frequently compelled to eat roadside food, resulting in additional financial burden and health concerns. It also claims that many personnel are forced to consume roadside food in a hurry, leading to gastric and other health-related problems.Karnataka State Police Complaints Authority member Mohan Kumar Danappa urged the police headquarters to examine the feasibility of extending food facility to CAR personnel. As interim measures, he suggested a daily food allowance of ₹100, supplying meals from nearby KSRP battalions, or procuring packed meals through local self-help groups or the Akshaya Patra Foundation.As a long-term solution, he proposed establishing a centralised kitchen at the CAR headquarters on Mysuru Road to supply meals to personnel deployed across Bengaluru.in a letter to the Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG&IGP) dated July 3, Mr. Danappa said CAR personnel deployed on day-long bandobast duties routinely work 12 to 14-hour shifts without access to departmental meals, unlike KSRP personnel, who are provided food through a centralised kitchen system.“There is discrimination in the welfare of CAR and KSRP personnel as far as food facilities are concerned. Setting up a canteen on the lines of the KSRP is not a big deal. It can address several issues relating to the health and well-being of personnel,” Mr. Danappa told The Hindu.However, a senior police officer said the two forces operate under different deployment models. “Unlike the CAR, the KSRP has a much larger deployment and, hence, operates a centralised kitchen to provide food to personnel. In Bengaluru, food arrangements are decentralised, with jurisdictional DCPs making arrangements based on local convenience. Cooking and serving meals on time for relatively small contingents deployed across different parts of the city is operationally difficult,” the officer explained.Demand for free BMTC bus travel for plainclothes police personnelThe KSPCA has also urged the State police chief to facilitate free travel for plainclothes police personnel in ordinary and ordinary Vayudoot (limited-stop) BMTC buses while on official duty in Bengaluru.As of now, free bus travel facility is available to uniformed police personnel.The representation states that personnel from the Intelligence Wing, Crime Branch, CCB, Anti-Narcotics Wing, VIP security units and other specialised divisions frequently travel across the city in plainclothes to conduct surveillance, gather intelligence, track suspects, and monitor criminal and anti-social activities.According to the authority, since these personnel are not in uniform, BMTC conductors often insist on tickets during duty travel, leading to arguments, and increasing the risk of exposing their identity, which could compromise ongoing operations and hinder investigations.The letter notes that uniformed police personnel are allowed free travel in Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses. It refers to earlier government directions issued in 2009 and subsequent representations made in 2017 seeking to extend the same benefit to plainclothes personnel. Despite the police department reportedly paying an annual amount to BMTC, with a 10% yearly increase, the facility has not been extended to personnel working in civilian attire.The authority has urged the DG&IGP to examine the proposal and take appropriate steps to enable plainclothes police personnel travelling on official duty to avail free travel in ordinary and ordinary Vayudoot BMTC buses upon producing their official police identity cards, ensuring that their covert operations are not compromised. Published - July 06, 2026 04:45 pm IST
