‘Zero tolerance’ to corruption, crime, indiscipline: Fadnavis


* Announces road-map for reforms in Police Department, asks cops to register every complaint they receive
* Says, Govt committed to improve investigation, detection, conviction, and bring down crime rate in five years
* Women’s Cell to be set up in all police stations, strengthening of forensic laboratories, appoint panel of prosecutors at district-level
* Cops doing commendable job to be honoured with medals
By Kartik Lokhande 
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Friday, announced that his Government adopted ‘Zero Tolerance’ against corruption, crime, and indiscipline in Maharashtra. Replying to a debate on law and order situation, Fadnavis, who also holds Home Department portfolio, rolled out a road-map for reforms in Police Department.
Fadnavis informed the Assembly about the Government’s plans to discipline the police force, curb cyber crime, take measures to reduce crimes against Dalits and women, and strengthen the police infrastructure and Intelligence apparatus. The Government would consider the recommendation of Ram Pradhan Committee of appointing retired officers of Intelligence Bureau and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) on contract basis to strengthen Intelligence apparatus in State, he said. He made a slew of announcements, while throwing light on the challenges posed before him because of poor handling of Home Department by the previous Government.

Chief Minister told the Assembly that he had directed the cops to register each and every complaint. “Unlike the previous Government, we will not resort to trickery like not registering offences and claiming decline in number of crime. Instead, I have asked the cops to register all the complaints. Initially, there may appear to be sudden increase in number of crimes in Maharashtra. However, in the longer run, it will help in restoring faith of citizens in police machinery. Besides, it will help improve faster investigation, better detection,” he explained.
Stressing upon the need to train Investigation Officers for foolproof investigation, filing of chargesheet in a proper manner, Fadnavis said that his Government had adopted a ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy for crimes against women, Dalits, corruption, and indiscipline and insubordination in the police force. He announced to set up Women’s Cell in each of the police stations in State. In a phased manner, effort will be made to designate all-women staff for these cells. The Government would consult the High Court and try to increase the number of Fast Track Courts for cases concerning women.
Commenting on the recent incidents of atrocities against Dalits, the Chief Minister said that it was a cause of concern. “The bigger cause of concern is that the rate of conviction in such cases is very poor. Hence, only law will not help, but its implementation and efforts to improve conviction rate will. The Government favoured disposal of serious offences through fast track trials,” he announced in the House. He extended his greetings to police officers who investigated Javkhede-Khalsa murders for swift detection of crime and arrest of real culprits. “The cops recorded depositions of 140 witnesses, grilled 13 suspects, and conducted various tests including polygraph and SDS on six of them. Finally, they arrested the real culprits who confessed to the murders,” he added.
Referring to an incident at Sindewahi in which two girls were sold in Rajasthan, Fadnavis said that the accused were arrest. Still, he said, the Government had asked the cops to probe if there was an organised gang behind the incident. In the human sacrifice case in Wardha district in which a child Rupesh Muley was killed brutally, he assured that the accused was arrested. Though it was for the court to decide on punishment, he said that the Government would take necessary measures to ensure the most stringent action against the culprit.
Fadnavis announced that the Government was in favour of detection of smaller cases, and a plan of action was being prepared to bring doown number of crimes drastically in five years. “Fundamental changes, massive reforms are needed to increase detection and conviction,” he said. He said that Forensic Science Laboratories in the State would be strengthened. Two new laboratories would be set up soon with all the ultra-modern facilities. Further, to improve rate of conviction from a poor 15 per cent, a panel of prosecutors would be appointed in every district and proper legal aid would be provided during investigation. Forensic units would be set up in every district and Commissionerate area. To boost the morale of cops, those doing commendable job would be honoured with special medals, he said.

Shall request to Centre for
CERT unit in State: CM

Chief Minister informed the Assembly that the State Government would request the Centre to set up a unit of Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) for faster detection of cyber crimes and removal of objectionable content posted on social media. Expressing concern over rising cyber crimes and posting of objectionable content on social media, Fadnavis pointed out that servers of social media services were in the US or other countries. It was found that most of the content was posted from other countries, with an intention to stoke the sentiments of people in Maharashtra or India. Hence, Cyber Cell of Police Department was required to be made more effective, he added.

‘Property of directors
to be seized to return
investors’ money’

Highlighting that the economic offences registered in the previous year involved a huge amount of Rs 9,340 crore, Devendra Fadnavis said that many companies collected money from innocent investors and duped them.
To ensure punishment to the culprits and return of hard-earned money of depositors, Additional Collector or Deputy Collector in every district was designated as special officer to look into the matters pertaining to protection of investors and depositors. The Government had decided to make provision for seizure of property of directors of such companies and return the money to depositors,” he said.

State takes note of MLAs’
demand to ban ‘MD’

Taking a note of the demand of MLAs to ban Mephedrone or MD in Maharashtra, Chief Minister said that already the State Government had requested to the Centre to include MD in Schedule 1 of Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. State would explore if special action could be proposed against those manufacturing and selling MD, he said. A day ago, MLAs had alleged that MD was being manufactured and sold as a cheaper alternative to cocaine and youngsters addicted to it were dying.

CM takes a dig at Oppn
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took a dig at the Opposition parties that were in the erstwhile Democratic Front (DF) Government, while replying to the debate on law and order situation.
Referring to gang-war in Pune, Fadnavis pointed out that Marne gang was on rampage in Pune and was involved in land grabbing, shooting, murders etc. “Such gangs can operate because of political connections. As far as Marne gang is concerned, police officer concerned had proposed externment of its members, but the erstwhile Government stayed it,” he said. At the same time, Fadnavis assured that his Government would spare none.

Major Announcements

* Two new state-of-the-art forensic laboratories

* Forensic units in every district and Commissionerate area

* Women’s Cell in every police station

* Panel of prosecutors to be appointed in every district to improve rate of conviction

* Medals to policemen doing commendable job

* Police force to be made ‘citizen centric’

* Citizen Facilitation Centre to be set up at all district police headquarters, single window system for various licences and permissions

* Decentralisation of powers to transfer subordinates

* Proposal to transfer Police Constables after five years, instead of two years

* Housing woes of cops to be solved through additional FSI, Rs 500 crore loan to be taken

* Vocation training at police academies

* Stringent policy to counter terrorism and policy initiatives to bring ‘strayed’ youths in mainstream of development

* If a cop dies on duty, his family members will get salary for the period till his retirement had he been alive 

(12-12-14) 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Chanda boy Dr Vipin Itankar is UPSC topper in State

Hinganghat: Here rests the great surveyor of India...

Eknath Ranade, the man with ‘Rock’ solid determination