It can universally be accepted without any reservations that it looks as if some device like thing of crimes of different hues is exploded bringing in its wake all-round spurt in crimes across the country. It may be growing assaults on women, more so on minor girls, murders and burglaries, frauds and scams, kidnapping and ransom, adulteration in eatables at its peak, trafficking of drugs and narcotic substances, money laundering and innumerable crimes including terror activities, added to which is novel but serious cyber security crimes, all needed to be not only taken very seriously but evolving strategies on modern lines. To deal effectively with such varied crimes and criminals and to have a uniform system across the country with intent to modernise the tracking of crimes through nationwide online tracking mode and make the system attuned to the needs of effective policing through the mode of e-Governance, the idea of experimenting and implementing a promising project of Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) was sponsored and launched by the Central Government. The new system is loaded with the advantage of developing a national database of different types of crimes and of the perpetrators of those crimes. Its chief aim, very importantly is, providing increased citizens friendly services, hence an urgent need to own it fully and implement it in full coverage across the UT.
Like nearly 22000 such Police Stations and connected offices across the country , Jammu and Kashmir too had to implement it and an exercise to this effect having been started several years back , only less than 60 per cent of the job is reported to have been attended to. While it is a matter of concern that in almost every project, that is supposed to be completed within a given timeframe, Jammu and Kashmir has unfortunately a record of generally not being in a position to adhere to it. Looking to that scenario and perhaps the difficulties of certain unavoidable nature, the work having been done up to 60 percent though looking dreary and dull, however, is not disappointing as well. Though the deadline fixed for completion of the project is unlikely to be met, still the current gusto and the speed on it needed to be toned up.
That apart, there is a duly constituted body to monitor such an important project – the Apex Committee which is duly mandated to keep reviewing the progress on the project at regular intervals, has surprisingly not come up to the expectations and has not met even once since May 2017. In other words, it has not evaluated or reckoned the level up to which the exercise has reached and naturally, there are no suggestions either from the Committee as to how the work could be sped up. If it is linked indirectly towards a sort of reform in the policing system, crime detection and tracking through the use of the tool of Information and Technology, it would only be a correct analysis but unless certain pertinent questions are asked, the issue cannot be deemed to have been properly assessed.
Has the Core Application Software and the connected hardware been provided to the designated police stations and whether necessary training has been provided to the concerned police personnel to adequately know about the system. Reports are that the same have since been commissioned in all the police stations. In other words , why then only 68 .5 percent of Police stations only out of total 219 stand connected, as per available data with the CCTNs ? The matter does not end up there, the basic work of entry of data bank services show a progress of just 18 percent. Why again, no reflection of any improved change on account of the new system is found in generating FIRs on the basis of the CCTNS and submitted accordingly to the courts? The new system envisages digitizing of the data related to FIRs, investigations and charge sheets in all police stations and the performance is zero as per the findings of the National Crimes Record Bureau (NCRB) which is the nodal implementing agency.
We hope, looking to the versatility and the fast tracking system characteristics as also interconnectivity between Police Stations which the CCTNS promises, girding up loins is imperative to make it possible by the Jammu and Kashmir Police so as to declare the project as “go-live” by the end of this month. Though difficult, it is not impossible. We have full confidence in our Police force to take it as a challenge and make it happen.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel