Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said in Kannur on Sunday that the police reforms Bill would be presented in the next session of the Assembly beginning on December 21.
He was speaking after inaugurating a police station at Mayyil. The Minister said the draft Bill, examined by the Select Committee, envisaged overall modernisation of the police force to equip it to function more efficiently. He said the centralised lock-up system launched in Kottayam would be opened soon in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode districts. It will be extended to other districts after an evaluation of the system.
The Home Minister said all facilities would be made available to the ‘Kadalora Jagratha Samithis,' fishermen's groups formed to ensure coastal security in the State. At present, there are 10 samithis in the coastal areas, each having 23 fishermen as members.
Mr. Balakrishnan said promotion norms for constables would be revised. The Director-General of Police had been directed to submit a report on revising the norms. The salary of police personnel would also be increased. He said community policing would be extended to 100 more centres. The 13th Finance Commission had sanctioned Rs.25 crore for the community policing scheme in the State. The scheme had received national attention as the Union government had suggested that the scheme implemented in the State should be emulated in other parts of the country.
In the wake of demand from aided schools that they be included under the student-police cadet scheme, the Minister said the scheme would be extended to 100 more schools, including aided schools, if they could ensure necessary facilities. He said 5,000 more police personnel would be given mobile phones by the State government. The government had already given mobile phones to 15,300 police personnel.
C.K.P. Padmanabhan, MLA, presided over the function. District panchayat president K.A. Sarala was also present.
