*DRSC’s report being handled with complete non-seriousness
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 5: Incredible it may sound but it is a fact that over three years long ‘active consideration’ of the Home Department and Police Headquarters has failed to yield any positive result regarding reorganization of the existing police units and creation of new ones, which otherwise is need of the hour to improve the functioning of Jammu and Kashmir Police as is being felt by the Legislators as well as senior officers of the force.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that the Departmental Related Standing Committee-IV on Home Department, in its meeting held in the Legislative Council Secretariat in the month of December 2013, had threadbare discussion on the requirement of creation of new Police Sub-Divisions, Police Stations and Police Posts in different parts of the State.
It was noted by the Committee that there was no uniformity in the jurisdiction of existing Police Stations in Jammu and Kashmir and large number of Police Stations are having area of operation much bigger than adjoining Police Stations. Moreover, it was observed that huge area of operation was also affecting maintenance of law and order, prevention of crime and protection of life and property of citizens.
After thorough discussion on the issue with the senior police officers, the Departmental Related Standing Committee (DRSC) recommended reorganization of existing police units and creation of new ones on the felt requirements.
Thereafter, a formal proposal was prepared through J&K Police Headquarters and placed before the Finance Department for concurrence. However, the Finance Department turned down the proposal on the ground of financial constraints and again Home Department asked the Police Headquarters to change the earlier proposal and reflect extremely felt requirements in the new proposal, sources informed.
“What happened thereafter to reorganization of existing police units and creation of new ones as recommended by the DRSC remains a mystery”, sources said, adding “this clearly indicates that the report of Departmental Related Standing Committee is being handled with utmost non-seriousness by the Home Department as well as Police Headquarters”.
This is notwithstanding the fact that legislators cutting across party lines have been raising the issue of reorganization and creation of police units in each and every session of the State Legislature. Every time the demands of legislators are set-aside by mentioning that report of the DRSC is under ‘active consideration’ of the Home Department and Police Headquarters.
While replying to the question of National Conference MLA Sajjad Ahmad Kitchloo in the Legislative Council and Congress MLA Aijaz Ahmad Khan in the Legislative Assembly in the Budget Session held at Srinagar in June last year, the Minister Incharge Home had stated: “The proposal for creation of new Police Stations/Posts and Sub-Divisions so as to meet the felt requirements of various areas is under active consideration of the Police Headquarters and Home Department”.
During the just concluded Budget Session numerous MLAs raised the question regarding establishment of new police units and the Government gave same stereotype reply by mentioning “proposal in this regard is under active consideration of the Home Department and Police Headquarters”.
The Government further said, “the Police Headquarters has also initiated steps for working out a comprehensive proposal for regularization of existing units necessitated due to change of jurisdiction as per the ground requirements or due to creation of new administrative units in the State”. Like in the previous sessions, the Government didn’t make mention about the time-frame for completion of this exercise.
“In this way active consideration of the Home Department and Police Headquarters has failed to yield any positive result with regard to reorganization of existing police units and creation of new ones otherwise three years is more than sufficient time-frame for working out the modalities”, sources said.
Stating that creation of new Police Sub-Divisions, Police Stations or Police Posts is recommended on a number of parameters vis-à-vis population, crime rate, accessibility to existing police units and demographical complexion of the area, sources said, “during the past several years the population has increased considerably and subsequent establishment of new habitations. Moreover, crime rate is also showing upward trend because of numerous reasons as such there is no justification behind keeping the reorganization and creation aspect under active consideration without any positive outcome”.
“If the Government feels that there is no requirement of reorganization or creation it should reject the DRSC report and give explicit reply to the legislators”, sources said, adding “taking the plea of active consideration is merely aimed at misleading the elected representatives of the people”.
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