Dayalu Arasu is a very happy man, the president of FITES (Forum of Facilities Providers for IT/ITES Industries ), his cabs were being stopped and drivers harassed by members of a self styled cab drivers union. After he met the Police Commissioner on Monday a directive was issued to all police stations to check this intimidation. Arasu says "This is the quickest meeting I have had with the Police Commissioner. Our grievance was addressed on the same day and the harassment faced by our drivers has ended”.
Kumara Park residents association president N S Ramakant, who presented a petition regarding the improvement of traffic control on V S Raju road to the Commissioner says "Though we haven’t got any response from the police till now, I was happy that we could meet the Commissioner and explain our problem to him . I have been trying to meet BBMP Commissioner for past six months for the same issue without success. It would be better if more officials have such meets."
These were two of the cases that the Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari attended to at a recent grievance meet. Commissioner Bidari who assumed charge recently has re introduced his version of the janata darshan. From the city police department, the last such attempt was made during the tenure of H T Sangliana in 2003.
Any citizen can walk into the Police Commissioner’s office on Infantry road between 3 pm and 5 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and express their grievances. All that you need to do is write a letter explaining the nature of complaint, details of the case and the police station in which the case has been registered with your name , address and contact number.
No 1, Infantry road.
Tel: 22942215
Grievance meets
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
3 PM- 5 PM.
After a personal hearing the Commissioner forwards the complaint to the concerned police station with his remarks. Directions are given to officials to register the complaints or initiate action. Each grievance will be attended to and action taken within 15 days, promises Bidari.
Seven such meets have been conducted till date and an average of fifty complaints are received at each meeting. Most complaints pertain to personal grievances especially family and marital disputes. But one can also see a few complaints related to civic issues and problems faced by professional bodies. Many complaints fall outside the purview of the Commissioner’s power and have to be turned away.
Bidari also says that a register of all complaints recieved is being maintained . A review of the program will be undertaken after three months and if found to be beneficial, similar meets will be conducted in all seven police divisions of the city, he says.
However, apart from the favourable media attention that these meets have garnered have they served any real purpose?
Former Police Commissioner, DG and IGP M D Singh says, "All police officers of all ranks from an Inspector to the Commissioner have to be available twenty-four hours of the day. A citizen has the right to meet the Commissioner at any time of the day to redress a serious grievance. Further the role of the Commissioner is only supervisory in nature, while the police station is the basic unit which performs the role of recording of FIR’s. So the entire administration has to be strengthened."
Another senior police official who does not want to be named points out that not a single punishment or disciplinary action has been issued to subordinates for failure to record FIR’s .
While Bangalore based senior criminal lawyer C V Sudheendra is of the opinion that the easy access to the Commissioner given by the meets is itself a major boon. "A meeting with a police inspector itself is very difficult to obtain. Plus the media glare under which these meets are being conducted will ensure that follow up action is taken." But he agrees that such meets are not effective for all kinds of cases.
Commissioner Bidari’s janata darshan appears to have made citizens happy with its promise of easy access. The real issue is that of follow up action. It is the lowest rung of the administration, the police station which needs to be made accountable and responsive. Let’s hope the commissioner uses the grievance meets as a first step in ensuring this. ⊕
Mr.Bidari’s initiative is indeed commendable especially when it is hard to approach even a Sub-inspector in the field.But it remains to be seen how effectively the promises will be fulfilled and for how long this would continue.However in addition to such endaevours it would be nice of the Commissioner to come up with innovative solutions to amke the police department more approachable,citizen friendly and acccountable,in the true spirit of “Public Service”
Recently,Mr.Bidari had released a circular regarding the guidelines to be followed by police officials in dealing with property related matters. Thanks for the circular in which protected me my late father’s property which was purchased by him in Vyalikaval Jabbar block Layout from CITB, during 1958.
Some Land Mafia team members continue to collude with Police Officials of Vyalikaval/Sheshadripuram and continue to threaten my family by way of writing false complaints with an intention of creating fear in us and to grab our site.
I requested Sub-inspecter of Vyalikaval to provide the details of Land mafia team to know who are all involved, but he never reveals the details. These land sharks visits the station like guests.
Mr.Bidari sir,if he can release another circular which instruct police officials compulsorily record the name of persons who visits the police station, will be helpful in exposing the land mafia team.
I was really happy to know about the Janata Darshan initiative by Mr. Bidari…till i sufferred i never realised the reality its all a Popularity program..
I would like to bring to Mr. Bidari’s notice that my house was robbed 4 months back and i have done everything as a citizen to register my case with the Police station and do regular follow up. As i found no action being taken i thought i would utilise the Janata Darshan to meet Mr. Bidari and to my surprise,’I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO MEET THE POLICE COMMISSIONER’. This happened personally to me on 07 Dec 2009 at 15:30hrs. I would not like to take the name of police officer at the Reception but his behaviour to the citizen’s is very rude…he has issued a pass and then never let me go in the Police commissioner’s compound…i think they issue the pass to file them and tell so many of the Janata have met the commissioner and he has listen to them.
Being a educated citizen i was thrown out of the compound and i was carrying all the documents too.. i don’t know the pathetic situation of the illiterate people who come to the Commissioners office with so many hope’s… Shame on propogating such initiatives and not abiding them….
Janta Darshan is a very good initiative taken by Mr.Bidari,our Police Commissioner and I hope to meet him if my complaint made with Subramanayapura Police Station on 7th Feb.2010 is not resolved within a reasonable time. I am a Senior Citizen who is being cheated, threatened and victimised by my landlord causing me unbearable pain and sleepless nights.My Landlord is refusing to refund my deposit of Rs.1 Lakh which he was supposed to once I vacate his shop premises which I have recently and instead of that he has displayed his criminal intention by collecting another deposit of Rs.1 Lakh from a new tenant for the same shop without cancelling the agreement with me.This shows how far people like him can go when it comes to dealing with Senior Citizens.It is also a example of their utter disregard for the law and the police.I sincerely hope that they will not be allowed to get away with their crimes and the guardians of law would do more than is necessary to ensure that the respect for the law is maintained. I will share the details of the case with fellow citizens in due course. UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL. Let us all come together for the good of the Society at large. Regards to all. Narendra Kumar Mullick
Why this Darshans why all this fuss. There is a criteria for ACTION BY POLICE Please come out clean and stop misleaing public. I had written to commisiioner regarding my NCR 341-09 dated 29-09-09 at BSK 2stage Station for inaction.
Police are not working on charity they are paid by mine and your Tax.
CP is there to mend and have a system for following up. Certainly not by Darshans. Catch you with more on this soon.
Cheers
It is nice to hear that the commissioner is meeting people to hear their grievances. It gives citizens re-assurance and faith in the system.