Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (MS) 

Bengaluru, Aug 30: Home minister Basavaraj Bommai gave a strict warning to the police department by saying that he will not tolerate police officials and personnel maintaining any kind of friendly relation with criminals. 

The minister had a video conference with the SPs of all the districts of the state from the office of the Director General of Police of the state in the city on Thursday, August 29.  

Speaking at the press conference after the interaction, minister Bommai said, "It is the prime duty of the police to provide justice to poor and weak people of the society and also maintaining law and order. So the police have to work in a transparent manner with the public. The police should be friends with the general public and the criminals should dread them. Instead of this, if I find that the police are hand in glove with the criminals, stringent action will be taken against such officers." 

"I will not meddle in the activities of the police department that curtail the criminal activities in the state and also serving the society in a transparent manner. However, it depends on your working style. Drugs mafia, which has become a nuisance for the state including the capital city, should be destroyed from the root. Instead of waiting for bogus finance companies to cheat people and then register the case, monitor the activities of such organizations and take actions as soon as you get some clue," said the minister. 

The home minister further said, "This time around Ganesh Chathurthi and Moharram festival have arrived at the same time. Senior police officers have to take the responsibility of maintaining law and order during this time by the physical presence. Destroy the anti-social elements without any mercy." 

"Discussion is on to increase the salary and perks of personnel of prisons and fire service as per the report of Auradkar committee. I am in discussion with the finance department in this regard. Out of the 24,000 posts that are vacant in the police department, 4,000 constables and 200 sub-inspectors will be recruited this year," said the minister. 

According to sources, minister Basavarj Bommai expressed his unhappiness over the lack of coordination between the senior IPS officers in the police department. The minister was not at all happy with regards to issue like phone-tapping and IMA multi-crore scam and has given clear instructions that these issues should not get repeated.