Patna: Mohini Kumari, a constable with the Bihar Military Police's women battalion, was euphoric when she bagged a job with the police force. Soon after joining the battalion, Mohini lost the zeal to work. Reason: She was allotted the job of a sweeper in the women battalion stationed at Sasaram in Rohtas.

Mohini, an athlete of national repute, has represented the state police in the All India Police Athlete Championship held at Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) in 2013, Haryana in 2014 and Kerala in 2015. A postgraduate from Indira Gandhi National Open University, Mohini now has to accomplish the sweeper's assignment to get her salary.

Mohini, however, is not an isolated case.

Khushboo, a graduate from Tilka Manjhi University, Bhagalpur, is also an athlete of repute. Enrolled to the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala, Khushboo, is a resident of Sultanganj in Bhagalpur. She has been appointed as a constable in the women battalion.

Her colleague Rita Kumari, a graduate from Hindi Vidyapeeth, Deoghar (Jharkhand), participated in the 4th All India Police Archery Championship in Nagaland in 2015 and the 5th All India Police Archery Championship in Ranchi in 2016.

Nikki Kumari, a postgraduate from Nalanda Open University, Patna, also represented the state police in the All India Police Athlete Championship in Lucknow in 2013, Haryana in 2014 and Kerala in 2015.

All the constables won accolades for the state in the national-level championships.

Now, they have to carry out the "low-grade" work as drivers and sweepers despite being highly qualified and being sportspersons of national repute. On condition of anonymity a woman constable said: " Kya karen naukri karni hai to karna padega (What can we do? We have to finish the task if we want to do the job)."

The commandant of the BMP's 2nd battalion stationed at Dehri-on-Sone, Parvez Akhtar, said recently 13 girls were appointed as drivers in the women battalion. Most of them are postgraduates and graduates from reputable universities such as Allahabad University and Patna University.

Out of the total strength of 681, around 42 girls were postgraduate and 247 were graduates. A few of them have done professional courses such as bachelor in computer science from reputable institutes.

Anita Kumari, who was recruited as constable in the women battalion, quit the job and joined the Indian Railways as ticket collector.