No focus even on re-defining
jurisdiction of existing police units
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 1: Undermining the authority of the State Legislature, Home and Police Departments have been treating as trash the recommendations of a House Panel regarding setting up of new Police Sub-Divisions, Police Stations and Police Posts during the past nearly four years. Moreover, there is absolutely no focus on the dire need of re-defining the jurisdiction of existing police units across the Jammu and Kashmir as per the felt requirement.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that the necessity of creating new Police Sub-Divisions, Police Stations and Police Posts was deliberated upon by the Departmental Related Standing Committee of the State Legislative Council a number of times during the year 2013 and finally in the month of December 2013 the Committee directed the Police Department to work out a proposal in this regard and submit the same to the Home Department.
Even the Home Department was directed to approach the Finance Department on the receipt of this proposal keeping in mind the fact that creation of new police units involves financial implications. However, despite lapse of nearly four years the recommendations regarding creation of new police units have remained confined to the official files of the Home and Police Departments, sources regretted.
“This is notwithstanding the fact that in each and every session of State Legislature held since December 2013 the demand regarding establishment of new Police Stations or Police Posts was vociferously raised by MLAs and MLCs”, they said, adding all the parameters like population, crime rate, accessibility to existing police units and demographical complexion weigh in favour of recommendations regarding establishment of new Police Sub-Divisions, Police Stations and Police Posts.
It is pertinent to mention here that Police Station or Police Post is the first contact point of people in distress as such effective functioning at these levels is important for building public confidence.
“Ever since the recommendations were made by the House Panel not only the population has increased rapidly even the crime rate is continuously witnessing upsurge. Moreover, large number of new habitations have come up in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir during the past four years thereby bringing to fore the necessity of establishing new police units for maintaining law and order in effective manner”, sources said.
They disclosed that when the proposal was first drafted and sent to the Home and Finance Departments it was suggested that extremely felt requirement should be reflected so as to bring down the financial implications. However, ever since the submission of revised proposal no seriousness has been shown either by the Home Department or by the Police Department in getting the same cleared from the Finance Department, sources said, adding “due to this the recommendations of the House Panel have been gathering dust in the official files with no progress during the past nearly four years”.
“Even there in no headway in re-defining the jurisdiction of existing police units, which was also part of the recommendations made by the House Panel”, sources said while disclosing that there is no uniformity in the jurisdiction of existing Police Stations in Jammu and Kashmir.
Large number of Police Stations have 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, huge area of operation is also affecting maintenance of law and order, prevention of crime and protection of life and property of citizens.
When contacted, a senior police officer, while pleading anonymity, admitted that no seriousness is being shown at the highest level in implementing the recommendations of the House Panel. “It is a fact that there is dire need to creation of new police units”, he added.
He informed that even there is no uniformity in the revenue districts and police districts and despite being discussed in various meeting no attention has so far been paid towards overcoming this problem.
According to the sources, “the issue of creation of new police units and re-defining the jurisdiction of existing ones was also discussed with the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in the month of July this year and the Chief Minister had also asked for expediting the exercise but there is no change in the situation till date”.
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