In Jammikunta mandal, the police patrolling has taken a distinct form. Mounting a public address system on the jeeps, the police are playing a recorded message informing farmers and villagers to be wary of possible robbery, during their regular patrolling beat in the mandal.
With the State government launching the Rythu Bandhu scheme (investment support scheme) which would mean availability of huge cash in the hands of the farmers, the police suspect possibility of robbers and cheats being at large.
A few days ago, some unidentified persons had snatched away the gold chains from women sleeping outside their houses in Chelpur and Ganmulka villages of Veenavanka mandal. There were also feelers about the possible robbery and dacoity in Jammikunta mandal after the completion of the harvesting season and availability of huge money in the hands of farmers and the traders.
In order to increase their surveillance and encourage people to stay alert, the Jammikunta police have launched the beat patrolling, playing recorded message through the public address system. Jammikunta Inspector P. Prashanth Reddy said that they have taken up this novel kind of beat patrolling educating the farmers, to ensure the safety of the cash given by the government and also inform them to spend the assistance only for farm activities. There are instances of farmers spending the cash given by the government on parties, gambling etc., he said, and added that they were educating the farmers to use the money judiciously. With the farmers making beeline for the banks to encash cheques given by the government, the police, along with regulating the queue, were educating the villagers not to trust strangers at the banks who offer to collect the cash and drop them at their respective villages.
Especially, the elderly farmers were being appealed not to trust strangers at the banks and at their houses. “We are asking villagers not to give scope for robbery as there was abundant cash in the villages”, he said.
