Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has told top law enforcement officials in a review meeting on Tuesday that strict action should be taken in cases of crimes against women.
The CM also termed the non-utilisation of the Nirbhaya Fund a serious issue and directed the State administration to draw guidelines for utilising it. Media reports had said the Nirbhaya Fund was lying unutilised under the previous Devendra Fadnavis government.
‘Good performance’
The CM reviewed the State’s law enforcement machinery in a meeting with Director General of Police Subodh Jaiswal and Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Barve, among others. In the meeting, Mr. Thackeray said, “The performance of the Maharashtra police was appreciated in the recent conference (the National Conference of Directors General and Inspectors General of Police in Pune, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended).”
Mr. Thackeray assured the police officials that several measures will be taken to strengthen the force, and that he will streamline issues related to police housing, health and duty periods, among other things.
He also directed the officials to withdraw cases where citizens had taken to the streets to fight for their Constitutional rights in non-violent ways. The CM has already ordered withdrawal of cases against protesters of Aarey tree-cutting and the Nanar refinery, among other issues. “Force should be used only when extremely necessary. People should be respectful yet fearful of the police,” he said in the meeting, according to a statement.
The meeting was also attended by senior police officials in Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nashik, Pune and Aurangabad via video conferencing.
