PUNE — Following the Supreme Court directive, the Maharashtra government has decided to form a state security council (SSC) to streamline the Police Department, Deputy Chief Minister R.R. Patil said here yesterday.
Speaking at the launch of “Police Reforms,” a book written by Pune Police Commissioner Jayant Umranikar, Patil, who is also the state home minister said, the decision was taken considering the sorry state of affairs in the Police Department.
Admitting that there was political interference in transfers and promotions, Patil said, “The Home Ministry is trying to tide over those problems.” He felt that more reforms were needed to make the department efficient.
Patil said the state government was carrying out the Supreme Court’s orders concerning police reforms and Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh had approved the setting up of the state security council.
Once the SSC comes into being, there will be a lot of changes. For example, the police will have postings for a fixed term. “The state government is determined to increase police autonomy. We are appointing retired judges to look into police complaints at district levels,” Patil said.
Last year, the Supreme Court had directed states across India to constitute SSCs to ensure that state government does not exercise unwarranted influence on the police.
The SSC is also expected to lay down broad policy guidelines so that the state police act according to law.
Patil criticized politicians and VIPs who seek police protection to bolster their status rather than for safety. “No criminals will kill these VIPs even if they are offered money. There are 500 such VIPs in the state, some of whom don’t deserve police protection. But it has become a ‘status symbol’ for them. After a review the government has withdrawn 500 policemen from VIP security,” Patil added.
The deputy chief minister confessed some policemen were corrupt. “Five to 10 percent of the police personnel are corrupt, and have given a bad name to the entire force,” he said.
Patil criticized policemen for doing work they are not mandated to do and stressed the need for giving more importance to performance than seniority when considering promotion of any officer.
The author of the book Jayant Umranikar said one is justified to criticize the system, but not any individual for the sorry state of affairs.
