The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : His domain at the click of a mouse

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Thursday, May 08, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

His domain at the click of a mouse

Raghava M.

DGP Srikumar is using technology to keep tabs on the pre-poll law and order situation

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Staying abreast: DG and IGP R. Srikumar interacting with police officials through videoconference in Bangalore on Wednesday.

BANGALORE: He is one of the more tech savvy police officers in the State. Be it as head of the State Police Housing Corporation or the erstwhile Stamp Investigation Team (STAMPIT), he has harnessed the benefits of technology. Now asked to shoulder the responsibility of heading the State police, R. Srikumar has brought his IT skills into regular policing.

With most of the police force engaged in election duty, Mr. Srikumar, who is Director-General and Inspector-General of Police, has introduced various means in which he keeps tabs on all the police units in the State. And one of the modes he is using is the video conferencing facility. Mr. Srikumar interacts with all the Superintendents of Police every day between noon and 1 p.m. The Hindu caught up with him on Wednesday, the penultimate day of campaign for the first phase of elections.

Mr. Srikumar calls Superintendent of Police of Tumkur district, which is going to polls on May 10. The official is not in the office as he is busy with campaigns of three political leaders — Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and Janata Dal (United) national president Sharad Yadav.

But Jagannath, an officer from the Special Branch of police, appears hurriedly on the screen with a stack of papers. “We have made arrangements for the three meetings. About 15,000 persons are expected to participate in Sonia Gandhi’s campaign. Half an hour later, there is campaign by Mr. Deve Gowda in Pavagada. We have taken care that the two supporters do not clash,” the officer said.

Next it is the turn of the police officers of Chitradurga to report. “Have you applied for postal ballot… which is the constituency that you vote,” Mr. Srikumar asks a police officer. “I have my vote in the city. I will go to the booth and cast my vote. Others are filing applications for postal ballots,” the officer said. Superintendent of Police, Gadag, D. Roopa comes on line. “I have been given an idea of the number of central paramilitary forces that will be sent to my area based on the plan submitted earlier. I think there is a need for more number of forces.”

Mr. Srikumar’s one-hour long video conferencing session for the day comes to an end with an interaction with Suraiya, a computer operator, who comes on line in the absence of Superintendent of Police, Chikmagalur.

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