Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced a series of benefits for lower-rung police personnel — from constables to assistant sub-inspectors — in an apparent attempt to please the “overworked” force ahead of next year’s panchayat polls.

The announcement, which came a day ahead of the Police Day, was based on a series of proposals sent to the chief minister by a welfare committee of the force.

“We have made some decisions for the police officers across the state. They have sent a charter of demands and considering them, we have taken the decisions,” said the chief minister at Nabanna on Wednesday.

The decisions include an increase in the upper age limit for applying for the post of constable to 30 years from the existing 27 years.

The government also decided to increase the upper age limit for members of the National Volunteer Force and civic volunteers to enter the police through tests to 35 years from the existing 27 years. Moreover, the government has decided to relax the criteria of physical measurements in case of recruitments following death in harness cases.

The government also decided to allow the transfer of Bengal police personnel to their native districts after the completion of 15 years in service with a clean record. This apart, the state will enhance the salary of contractual drivers in the police force. In Calcutta, the contractual drivers will get Rs 13,500 a month, instead of the current salary of Rs 11,500.

In the rest of the state, the contractual drivers’ salary has been raised to Rs 15,000 a month from Rs 13,500 as they cover a larger area compared to their counterparts in Calcutta.

The government also opened an opportunity for the contractual drivers to qualify for permanent jobs against vacant positions through tests.

A section of the officials said the morale of the force, particularly those who were in the lower rungs, had to be kept high ahead of the rural polls scheduled for next year. “In panchayat polls, the law and order is maintained completely by the state forces. If the morale of the force is not high, many untoward incidents can take place,” said an official.