Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad   

A slew of measures for better policing

Outsourcing of functions is among the chain of reforms being introduced by the police. This new project throws light on many issues, writes MARRI RAMU.

IN A bid to move closer to people, the city police had embarked on several innovative experiments in the last couple of years. Blue Colts and Rakshak teams were introduced to further better policing. A new force `lake-police' is waiting in the wings. Bringing the services of the police to the doorstep of people, the East Zone police launched a novel method of going to the complainant's house and registering cases there itself following a telephone call.

Plans are afoot to install an exclusive telephone in each police station with only `incoming' facility, to receive feedback from people. An exclusive citizens' charter, comprising details of what the police `will do and cannot do for public' is on the cards. Some new concepts like centralised lock-up system were introduced to ensure that human rights were not violated.

While these innovations are helping the police shed their reported negative image to some extent, a new project -- outsourcing of some non-core police functions -- by the Central Zone has thrown light on some intricacies of policing hitherto uncared for. As part of the project, some duties otherwise discharged by the men in the Ramgopalpet police station have been entrusted to a private firm.

The typing of case diaries has been assigned to a consultant who in turn employed a typist (using their own computer and other stationery) for which Rs. 8,000 per month was paid during October, November and December 2002. Earlier, two to three constables were engaged for the same work and sometimes they had to hire the services of a private typist.

Another major task of retrieving bodies from the Hussainsagar Lake was also outsourced to a private party. On an average, about 100 bodies were found in the lake and the police had to spend about Rs. 750 on each body for retrieval, disposal and other legal formalities. The same work was given to a private party paying Rs. 750 per each body.

Though reception centres were established at all police stations in the State, the handling of the reception counter in this police station has been handed over to the consultant on contract basis with a payment of Rs. 4,500 per month. An EPABX, with seven extension lines, had been installed. Among other things, the project brought to the fore the fact that a police station required some minimum amount of money for day-to-day operations.

No amount is paid by the Government to meet such costs. Then, how are the Station House Officers meeting this expenditure? Are the powers-that-be and the higher-ups not aware of this paradoxical situation? While these daunting questions remain unanswered, the project also pointed out how a sizeable section of the force is being deployed for non-core police functions.

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