Muzaffarnagar, Oct 4 (IANS): The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Uttar Pradesh's Muzzafarnagar has issued an order saying that birthdays of all police personnel, irrespective of their ranks, will be celebrated in their respective stations across the district.

All police stations and pickets have been directed to celebrate their colleagues' birthdays on the premises so that they "don't miss their home and beloved ones".

SSP Abhishek Yadav said: "A policeman's life is all about work with barely any off days or leaves. He has to stand guard even during festivals and public holidays. The birthday celebration is one small effort to give them some moments of happiness."

Yadav himself has been making it a point to send a greeting card to every cop on his birthday.

The initiative has been welcomed by all policemen irrespective of their rank.

Sub-Inspector Krishan Kumar, posted at Bhora Kalan police station in the district, was the first beneficiary of the initiative as his birthday was on Tuesday - the day the SSP's directive came into force.

"It was indeed a pleasant surprise. Hearing the birthday song and cutting a cake inside a police station was an unforgettable experience," he said.

Kumar shared the cake, snacks, soft drinks and above all, some light moments with his colleagues after a long time.

The SSP said: "We first began this initiative as an experiment on Monday and now all police stations and outposts are following it. We have had a lot of suicides in UP Police over the last two months. Primarily, stress is the culprit. We want to tackle that. We also want to build team camaraderie, team spirit and a sense of brotherhood."

Another inspector Vijay Pal Singh from Shahpur police station whose birthday was celebrated on Wednesday said: "We have 30 police personnel in our station. So, on an average, we'll have at least tow to three parties every month. It takes away some amount of stress we experience on a daily basis."