Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady (SP)
Beltangady, Mar 14: "The process of recruiting police personnel has been set into motion in the state. Already we have recruited about 8,000 new police personnel. 8,000 more are being appointed shortly. 450 to 500 new sub-inspectors are also being recruited by the home department," said state home minister, Dr G Parameshwar.
He was addressing a press conference organized at the newly built police station at Dharmasthala after inaugurating it on Monday March 14.
"To fall in line with the national average, Karnataka should have had a police force of around a lac. But we have only 75,000 police personnel as of now. Because of this adverse situation, people in police department are working under tremendous pressure. To bring down this pressure, we have started to recruit police. Dakshina Kannada will get 24 new district armed reserve police and ten civil police personnel," the minister revealed.
The minister confessed that his attention has been drawn towards lacunae in the functioning of Karnataka Police Complaints Authority. "I already have held discussions with police top brass, and everything is being set right now. 40 new police stations have been allotted to the state, and we will get a clearer picture about the actual number of police stations sanctioned once the state budget is presented. We are setting up exclusive women's police stations in each of the districts. We are making sure that outside interference is avoided in police officers transfer and no one is allowed to meddle with the departmental discipline," the minister explained.
Parameshwar revealed that 40 acres of land has been sanctioned for building a new district prison at Mangaluru. He said that he is aware of the problems created because of installation of jammers at the prisons to block calls through cellphones. He said that at the same time, jammers will become purposeless if their coverage is restricted. He hoped that this problem will get solved once the new prison building comes up.
Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister, B Ramanath Rai, sports minister, Abhay Chandra Jain, MLA, K Vasant Bangera, inspector general of police (IGP - western range), Amrit Paul, and district superintendent of police (SP), Dr Sharanappa S D, were present.
Earlier in the day, addressing the audience after inaugurating the new police station on Monday morning, Dr Parameshwar noted that the policemen from the state earn less and work more as compared to their counterparts in the neighbouring states. "The government has thought of building 11,000 residential quarters for the policemen. Out of them, 3,000 houses have already been built, and 4,500 more are being built this year," he stated.
The minister said that the police personnel find it impossible to get rented houses within the limits of their salaries. "Therefore, the government has given impetus to the scheme of providing housing to them. During the last year, there has been a notable decline in incidences of crime in the state. Karnataka police are looked upon with respect elsewhere in the country. We understand that modern systems need to be installed to early detection of modern age crimes," he observed.
Parameshwar claimed that efforts are being made to see that police department works in a people-friendly manner, and that police stations keep organizing programmes to bring the policemen closer to the people. He said that 60 percent of the population in India comprises of youth and a feeling that equality, brotherhood and freedom should settle in is getting embedded in the minds of every citizen in the recent past.
Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari, Dr D Veerendra Heggade, in his address, said that every society has good people and bad, just like light and darkness prevail in the world. He pointed out that there are people who like to lead peaceful and contented life, while there are those who believe in crimes. "As per deeply rooted belief, the Lord provides us protection. In real world, policemen, army etc help us to get protection from evil forces," he stated. He asked the home department to provide residential quarters for policemen and new police station building in Dharmasthala at the earliest. Heggade also felt that people's representatives may get power to do right things if an idol of a deity is installed in Vidhan Soudha.
MLA, K Vasant Bangera, who presided, demanded setting up of police outpost at Arasinamakki near here, sanction a traffic police station in the town, and to post additional policemen to the taluk to meet shortfall. He promised to sanction two acres of land for new building for the police station and police residential quarters within 15 days.
Police outpost had started functioning in Dharmasthala in 1980. The new station functions from a rented premises owned by gram panchayat. Two police sub-inspectors, two assistant sub-inspectors, ten head constables and 30 personnel have been sanctioned. 20 have been deputed to this station for the present.
District in-charge minister, B Ramanath Rai, minister for sports, Abhay Chandra Jain, zilla panchayat members, Koragappa Naik and Namita, taluk panchayat members, Dharnamma, Divyajyoti and others, Darmasthala panchayat president, Achuth Poojary, president of Coir Board, Kadur Nanjappa, western range IGP, Amrit Paul, Mangaluru city police commissioner, M Chandra Sekhar, Bantwal probationary assistant superintendent of police, Laxman Nimbargi, and Bantwal deputy superintendent of police, N G Nhaskar Rai, were present.
On behalf of Dharmasthala temple administration, the home minister was felicitated on the occasion. SP, Dr Sharanappa S D, welcomed. Additional SP, Vincent Shanthakumar, proposed vote of thanks. Teacher, Dharanendra Jain presented the programme.