STATE TIMES NEWS
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) R R Swain held his first public “darbar” here on Saturday and said the exercise was meant to know and address the shortcomings in the services offered by his department to the people of the Union Territory.
Swain took over as the new police chief of Jammu and Kashmir on October 31 and announced his decision to hold a two-hour public “darbar” (meet) on the first and third Saturdays of every month in Srinagar and on the second and fourth Saturdays in Jammu.
He held a public darbar in summer capital Srinagar on November 18.
The first-of-its-kind initiative by the DGP drew a large number of people to the police headquarters here. Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, Vijay Kumar was also present on the occasion.
“I had one such meeting in Srinagar. The main aim of this direct public hearing is to know how the shortcomings in the police services are addressed, besides using it as a mechanism to keep a check on the response of the officers at the junior level,” Swain told reporters.
He said it is an opportunity for people to highlight their genuine grievances at the highest level, if they feel that they did not get a positive response at the lower levels.
“We have come across mixed complaints like some people sought appointment of their children as special police officers (SPOs), some wanted transfers of their relatives and some had real issues with regard to the services,” the DGP said.
He said the objective of the public darbar is to build confidence among the masses so that they remain connected with the department and also, conveying a message to the subordinate officers to be responsive to public issues.
“This is an experiment with a noble objective and let us see how it unfolds,” Swain said.
He said the service rendered by police is very critical and at times, the personnel have to act tough against certain elements to keep the rest of the population safe.
“Individual police officers can be wrong but overall, the force is acting in the best interest of the people. There are disciplinary proceedings in place for wrong-doers like in the Army or any other security agency,” Swain said, adding that his experience of 33 years tells him that the job of a police personnel is not an easy one and “we need to hold the hands of each other and march forward”.
Holding a newborn baby in her lap, Rubeena Kousar said she had come to plead the transfer case of her husband, a policeman posted in the Kashmir valley.
“I was blessed with triplets but one of them died immediately after the birth a few months ago and the two other kids are also not keeping well. I have two children to look after and there is nobody to stand by my side,” she told PTI after meeting the DGP.
Kousar said they hail from the Surankote area of Poonch district and she is hopeful that her plea would be considered positively.
Abdul Majid, a resident of Doda district, accompanied fellow villager Akram Rafiq, whose father Rafiq Ahmad — an SPO — was killed in an encounter with terrorists. “Akram has lost his father at an early age and is unable to continue his studies. I accompanied him to meet the DGP as his grandparents are octogenarians. He should be appointed as an SPO,” Majid said.
Welcoming the DGP’ initiative to meet the public, Majid, who was waiting in a queue for his turn to speak to the top cop, said he will draw the officer’s attention to the plight of the SPOs’ families who have lost their dear ones.
“The government has started renaming schools in the name of martyrs, which is a very good step. However, the families of these martyrs need to be looked after as well,” he said, demanding free ration and electricity to such families.