Krishna asks SPs to visit villages

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, JAN. 8. The Chief Minister, Mr. S.M.Krishna, on Monday directed the superintendents of police at the districts to visit villages coming under their jurisdiction regularly.

He was speaking at the one-day annual conference of senior police officers, organised by the Police Department.

He said he had asked the Chief Secretary to ensure that the deputy commissioners visited remote villages coming under their jurisdiction.

These visits would not only help the public gain confidence in the police but also stem any trouble from breaking out in the initial stages. Such visits could instil both fear and respect among the people in the police force.

Calling upon the police personnel to be more humane and courteous in their dealings with the common man, he said he had observed that the members of his pilot vehicle behaved badly with the people while clearing the road for the movement of his convoy. The Government and the police should earn the goodwill of the people.

Mr. Krishna wanted the Police Department to not only update its charter but also make it more people friendly. Police should extend all courtesies to complainants, who visited police station, he added.

The Chief Minister said the Government had drawn up a five-year plan worth Rs. 750 crores towards modernisation of the police force. The Government had taken several measures for the benefit of policemen including the proposal to construct 5,100 houses.

The Government had set aside Rs. 120 crores for housing police stations and constructing office buildings. Besides, a plan had been formulated to modernise the communication system. Forensic science laboratories one each in Mysore, Belgaum and Gulbarga would be established for expeditious detection of crimes.

The duties of policemen and officers now were more elaborate and complex as the nature of crimes had changed. International terrorism had spread its wings in the country. Therefore, police needed to handle situations in a more delicate and sensitive manner.

In the last 12 months, the Police Department had successfully overcome several problems and acquitted itself admirably. He said the brutal killing of dalits at Kambalapally village of Chintamani taluk of Kolar District, the agitation by advocates in Hubli-Dharwad, the 108-day-long abduction crisis of the film actor, Mr. Raj Kumar, the Supreme Court judgment on the release of TADA detenues lodged in Mysore jail and several other incidents had brought out the best in the police.

He said the advocates had launched an agitation for setting up a Bench of the High Court in Hubli-Dharwad despite knowing that the State Government had no role in it. The decision of setting up a Bench rested with the Supreme Court and High Court, but the advocates chose not to understand this. Mr. Krishna said police had managed to avoid trouble in Bangalore City, Bangalore District, Mysore, Mandya, Chamarajnagar and Tumkur districts following the abduction of Mr. Rajkumar.

Expressing concern over the low rates of convictions in the State compared to other States, Mr. Krishna called for greater coordination and cooperation between police and the public prosecutors. The public prosecutors should show more zeal and sincerity in pursuing cases.

He said Bangalore was emerging as an important hub of commercial activity. More and more companies were setting up their global headquarters in the City. While this was a welcome trend, it was leading to other problems, and the police force should be prepared to tackle them.

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Section  : Southern States
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