Thank God! The Government of India is focusing on the plight of the Indian police force at last and it has come out with a new package especially for the Delhi Police. There are mounting hopes that the same will take place throughout the country before long. What has been the fresh initiative then? There has been the annunciation of an outlay of Rs 220 crore for the Delhi Police for constructing offices and residential buildings. What’s more, the approval came at a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Before we delve into the details, let’s check out the current scenario. As per definition, a police service is a public force empowered to enforce the law and to ensure public and social order through the legitimized use of force and this indicates that is a part and parcel of government and administration. But the Indian police force has hardly enjoyed any such special status and has remained the foster child of a wealthy father. Whenever there is any incident or brawl or riots or even skirmishes, the police contingent reaches the spot before anyone else.
What happens next? If it adopts tough decision, police personnel earns wrath of superior bosses or politicians. But in case of any laxity it is also censured considerably. This remains coupled with subhuman conditions of life.
All these are perhaps going to change since a sum of Rs. 170 crore for construction of police office buildings and Rs 50 crore for residential buildings to Delhi Police in 11th Five Year Plan has been approved in the Cabinet meeting. The scheme of construction of residential buildings and office buildings has also been renamed as “Delhi Police Building Programme”.
It is to be noted that the construction of five police stations, one police post building and 157 staff quarters at different police station premises has already been completed during first two years of 11th Five Year Plan. This is perhaps the beginning.
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I think this is an excellent move. being an architect, I have observed that police housing as well as police stations are often in shabby condition, without lacking aesthetics which inspire awe. In ahmedabad, i have see a couple of projects here and there to uplift the image and the morale of the police - to build a fancy police station, or to build pre-fabricated structures as police out stations, but they are incoherent to the overall image of the police force. I appreciate the government’s move to set up this comprehensive project with a dedicated budget for it. Wishing all the best. Ar. Tarak Jani