Kerala   

Move to form internal vigilance wing for police

Staff Reporter

Plan to raise India Reserve Battalion

Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan

KASARAGOD: The State Government is planning to form an internal vigilance wing in the Kerala Police, Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said. He was inaugurating a newly constructed building of the State Special Branch CID and Crime Branch at Parakkata here on Saturday afternoon.

Mr. Balakrishnan said the move was in the context of allegations of corruption being raised against the police. The Government intends to streamline the functioning of the police to make it more efficient, people-friendly and corruption-free.

He said the Government had decided to free the State Special Branch from its responsibility of passport verification. The decision is aimed at providing more time to officers of the Special Branch in intelligence work. The Crime Branch and local police have been separated in the Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode Corporations already. This will be extended to other Corporations and municipalities soon.

Mr. Balakrishnan said the community policing arrangement introduced in major cities had been found successful and the Government was thinking of extending it to all Corporations and municipalities.

He said the State police had received accolades from all other States where they had been deputed on special duty on occasions like elections. In this context, the State Government is planning to raise an India Reserve Battalion in the State. The State has already written to the Centre in this regard. Earlier, speaking to reporters at Kanhangad, Mr. Balakrishnan said the order of a Vigilance court for a Vigilance inquiry into the bribery allegations in connection with the Deshabhimani daily was not a reversal to the Government. The State police are already investigating the matter, the Home Minister added.

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