Against the backdrop of the government’s decision to absorb the SLPR (Sri Lanka Police Reserve) into the Regular Force, Police Headquarters has prohibited five categories of officers and men from wearing the Dharma Charkkra emblem, the police insignia introduced during JRJ’s administration, on their uniforms.

The former IGP Victor Perera has issued the ban shortly before he retired from service to become the Governor of the Northern Province.

Police sources said that the decision to remove this emblem would be part of the overall plan to change the uniform of the Police Engineering Service, Police Support Service,Police Technical Service, Police Medical Service and Police Special Service previously under the SLPR umbrella.

Already new insignias had been issued with specific instructions that all their badges should be made of cloth. They have been specially ordered not to wear any chromium plated badges.

Altogether 1,537 officers and men had been deprived of the regular police uniform. They had been also issued a new departmental identity card which some officers asserted would ridicule them in the eyes of the public.

"The new identity card has declared that we don’t have the authority of a policeman," an officer said, urging the government to inquire into this injustice.

The SLFP-led coalition government on February 1, 2006 absorbed the SLPR into the Regular Service to fulfill a pledge given at the last presidential election by then Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Police sources said the IGP couldn’t alter the uniform without Cabinet approval and expressed confidence Perera’s successor would brief the government about the irregularity and take immediate corrective steps.

Junior policemen regretted their superiors were engaged in idiotic projects while neglecting the urgently needed action to clean up the department.

"There are many officers who needed to be punished for waste, corruption and links with the underworld and even the LTTE," one angry policeman said. ``Instead, they are busy changing our uniforms.’’

He claiming some of those absorbed into the Regular service now regretted their decision join.