NEW DELHI, Feb 10: As many as 257 police stations in the country do not have vehicles while 638 are without telephones, a Parliamentary Standing Committee report on Ministry of Home Affairs submitted to Parliament revealed on Thursday.
The panel, headed by Congress leader Anand Sharma, noted that as per the date, it may be seen that out of 16,833 police stations in the country, 257 police stations don’t have vehicles, 638 police stations don’t have telephones and 143 police stations are not having wireless or mobiles as on January 1, 2020.
The committee said it was of the view that modern policing requires strong communication support, state-of-the-art modern weapons, and a high degree of mobility for quick response.
The panel said in 21st century India, there are police stations without telephones or proper wireless connectivity especially in many sensitive states like Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Punjab, particularly in view of the fact that some of these states had been rewarded with better performance incentives in the year 2018-19.
Further, a very sensitive border Union Territory like Jammu and Kashmir also has a sizeable number of police stations which do not have telephones and wireless sets, it said.
The committee, therefore, recommends that the MHA may advise such states to immediately equip their police stations with adequate vehicles and communication devices else it may lead to disincentivisation of modernisation grants from the centre.
“For the Union Territories, the MHA may ensure the needful is done at the earliest, it said.
The panel said it has been given to understand by the states that limited manufacturing of non-lethal weaponry in the country is a cause for their non- availability with the states desirous to obtain them.
Hence, it recommends that the MHA may initiate setting up of adequate manufacturing units of non-lethal weaponry in the country so as to address the issue of shortages in this regard, it said.
The committee recommended that the MHA may coordinate with the states to increase investment in the purchase of non-lethal weaponry, latest anti-riot equipment and standardise the uniform of police personnel with lightweight, easy to wear body protection gears to minimise injury or casualty during performing law and order duties. (Agencies)
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