Krishna to hold talks with CVC to strengthen Lokayukta

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, OCT. 21. The Chief Minister, Mr. S.M. Krishna, said today that he would hold a meeting with the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC), Mr. C. Vittal, after the winter session of State legislature commencing on Monday, to discuss steps for strengthening the Lokayukta.

Mr. Krishna, who spoke to presspersons after participating as the chief guest at the Police Commemoration Day function here, said strengthening of the Lokayukta was necessary to put an end to corruption.

Various legal measures that were needed to make Lokayukta more powerful would be discussed with the CVC during the proposed meeting, the Chief Minister said.

Mr. Krishna said that all the proposals received from the Police Department, including those for establishing new police stations, would be cleared on a priority basis.

Earlier, addressing the gathering at the Police Commemoration Day, Mr. Krishna listed various measures initiated by his Government for the development and modernisation of the Police Department during the last one year.

He said that in order to check cyber crimes, the police personnel would be provided with the latest technology. Training in using the technology would also be imparted to them, he added.

Praise for police: The Chief Minister showered praise on the State police for their work. The work done by the police in solving the serial church blast cases and the Vasanth Asnotikar murder case, unearthing of a fake stamp paper racket, securing the release of the industrialist, Mr. Narayana Bhat, who had been kidnapped, and maintenance of law and order following the abduction of the Kannada actor, Mr. Rajkumar, were some of the "greatest achievements" of the State police, he observed.

The State police had earned a good reputation in the entire country, Mr. Krishna said and reiterated that the Government would provide assistance to the police who had been "fighting towards protecting the health of society by risking their own lives".

The Home Minister, Mr. M. Mallikarjun Kharge, said that steps had been taken to construct quarters for police personnel, offices of the superintendents of police (SPs) and wireless control rooms in the seven new districts.

The Cabinet, which met recently, had sanctioned Rs. 125 crores for the purpose. The Centre had released an equal amount. "It is the first time that the Union Government has released such a huge amount for the development and modernisation of the Police Department in the State," Mr. Kharge said.

The Home Minister said that the State Government would soon take up with HUDCO the project to construct police quarters.

Mr. Kharge said that the Government had released a record Rs. 350 crores to the Police Department during the current year. The Centre, unlike in the past, had released Rs. 125 crores, due to the efforts made by him and Mr. Krishna, he said.

Tribute to martyrs: At the Police Commemoration Day, rich tributes were paid to 1,244 police personnel who laid down their lives while on duty, from September 1999 to August 2000.

Eleven policemen -- Doddy Naik (Mysore), Channappa (Raichur), Kempaiah (Bangalore), Harish (Udupi), Rajesh (Udupi), Sardar Khan (Gulbarga), Mohamed Yousufuddin (Bidar), V.S. Jantli (Haveri), B.I. Sindagikar (Bagalkot), N. Sreenivasa Murthy and S. Sampangiramaiah (Banglore) were killed while on duty.

The Chief Secretary, Mr. B.K. Bhattacharya, the Home Secretary, Mr. M.B. Prakash, the Director-General and Inspector-General of Police, Mr. C. Dinakar, and other senior police officers were present on the occasion.

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