Nagpur police commissioner gifts khaki uniform cloth to 8,500 personnel this Diwali

Nagpur Police personnel have received a Diwali gift this year that is quite different from the usual sweets and ceremonial items. The Police Staff Welfare Fund has typically distributed rangoli, clay lamps and Rs 500 packets of Haldiram's bhujia. This time, Police Commissioner Vishwas Nangare Patil chose something directly tied to the identity of the force: khaki uniform cloth.

Nangare Patil personally approached Raymond chairman Gautam Singhania and arranged 8,500 pieces of fine khaki fabric. The aim was that every officer and constable in the city police get cloth of the same quality. The initiative has been described as the first of its kind to bring uniformity to the city police.

Each piece measures 3.5 metres and has an actual price of about Rs 1,500. Under a special bulk-purchase arrangement, however, the cloth was obtained for just Rs 500 a piece. The gift is thus both economical and useful.

All 8,500 police officers and personnel posted in Nagpur will benefit from the initiative. Everyone will get the chance to wear a uniform made of the same cloth. Beyond the cost, the move aims to strengthen a sense of equality, discipline and shared identity among the personnel.

The Police Staff Welfare Fund has a tradition of giving Diwali gifts such as rangoli, lamps and packets of bhujia. This year the commissioner broke with that old pattern and chose a gift that is of use in the daily lives of police personnel and also carries symbolic meaning.

The decision has given this year's Diwali a different colour. While most households celebrate the festival with sweets, lights and traditional gifts, the men and women in khaki in Nagpur have a special reason to celebrate: a festive gift that reflects their profession, their pride and their identity.

For Nagpur Police, this Diwali is truly painted in khaki.