Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 28: In a testimony of Government continuing with the habit of taking important issues in lighter vein, the recommendations of a House Panel on re-organization of existing Police Stations and creation of new ones including the setting up of special Traffic Police Stations along the National Highway have been gathering dust during the past several months.
Though the Police Headquarters consider these recommendations as important, yet it is unable to initiate any step in the absence of any direction from the Home Department, which has to take final call on giving practical shape to the suggestions of the House Committee.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Departmental Related Standing Committee-IV on Home Department, in its meeting held in the Legislative Council Secretariat in the month of December last year, had threadbare discussion on the requirement of new Sub-Divisions, Police Stations and Police Posts.
In the meeting, it was noted that there was no uniformity in the jurisdiction of existing Police Stations in Jammu and Kashmir with large number of Police Stations having area of operation much bigger than adjoining Police Stations as a result of which people have been facing many difficulties in approaching the Police Stations. Moreover, it was also 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 recommended creation of new Police Stations on the felt requirements and reorganization of the existing Police Stations.
The Committee, after detailed deliberations on the growing number of road accidents, also felt the need of creation of separate Traffic Police Stations along the National Highway and in the erstwhile Doda district and other hilly and road accidents prone areas on the pattern of neighbouring States, sources said.
Even senior officers of the Traffic Police advocated the setting up of Traffic Police Stations for timely investigations into the causes leading to road accidents and ensuring compliance of Traffic Rules by the vehicle operators, sources said.
However, no action has so far been taken on the recommendations of the Departmental Related Standing Committee despite the fact that even Police Headquarters feel the necessity of at least reorganization of existing Police Stations, sources said. Even the elected representatives of the people have been highlighting the requirement of creation of new Police Stations and Police Posts during the past several years, they added.
In response to a question, sources said, “the Police Headquarters cannot initiate step in this direction on its own in view of the involved financial implications and a formal order is required to be issued by the Home Department”.
“On the receipt of the formal orders in this regard from the Home Department, the PHQ will frame a committee for carrying out detailed exercise vis-à-vis reorganization of Police Stations and identifying the areas for establishment of new ones”, they added.
Though the Government may take refuge under the pretext of financial constraints for not implementing the recommendations of House Panel yet it should keep in mind that primary objective of the Police Department is maintenance of law and order, prevention of crime and protection of life and property of citizens and nothing should create hurdle in meeting this objective.
It is pertinent to mention here that creation of new Police Sub-Divisions, Police Stations and Police Posts is decided on a number of parameters vis-à-vis population graph, crime rate, accessibility to existing police unit and demographical complexion of the area.
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