Pics: Kishore Peraje
Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal (SP)

Bantwal, Mar 21: Inspector General of Police (IGP), western range, Amrit Paul, who inaugurated the newly built visitors room at the rural police station here on Friday March 20, stressed that his department will not tolerate acts of moral policing, and it will be ensured that people getting involved with illegal activities would be sternly dealt with.

Addressing a mass contact programme held here, the IGP sought to reject the popular notion that moral policing was the result of the failure of the police department. 'This is the failure of the society, and of the harmonious coexistence. Since the last two years, we have succeeded in keeping acts of moral policing under check. We have been sending the offenders to Ballari and Gulbarga jails. In response to certain questions, he said self restraint is the best solution for the problem of moral policing.

When some people pointed out that being communally sensitive area, many policemen get posted for the security duty here, and that police department should provide shelter for their stay, he said that the department faces the problem of land here. 'If the local administration or members of the public provide a site, we will build a hall for the purpose from out of government grant, and this hall will be useful for the people too,' he said. He said a traffic police station would be opened in the town before April 15, and initially it will function in rented building.

District superintendent of police, Dr Sharanappa, referring to frequent frictions arising out of banner issue, felt that it is for the local administrations to properly think before granting permission for banners.

During his interaction with media persons, the IGP said that the ratio of policemen to population is very less in the district, and there is a need to strengthen the department by infusing additional staff. About regulating illegal sand mining, he said that a special task force has been formed by the district administration, and that joint operations would be undertaken under the guidance of the deputy commissioner.

Assistant superintendent of police, Rahul Kumar, police circle inspector, Belliappa,and other staff were congratulated by the IGP for bringing down crime rate in the area substantially in the recent past.