Kolkata, Oct 10 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday vowed to enhance the police-to-public ratio in the state, drawing comparisons with Uttar Pradesh to bolster public safety and law enforcement services.
Speaking at the inauguration of the West Bengal Police’s Emergency Response Service System-112 at Brigade Parade Ground in central Kolkata, Adhikari indicated that Uttar Pradesh’s police-to-public ratio would serve as a benchmark for his government’s efforts to strengthen the force.
“During the previous regime in the state, the ratio was 105 cops for every one lakh people. This was because recruitments in the police department were stuck midway because of the flawed Other Backward Class (OBC) policy of the previous ruling dispensation. Now we have corrected those flaws, and fresh recruitment has already been done, and more will be done in the coming days,” the CM said.
“Now the ‘police-to-public’ ratio in West Bengal has improved to 155. In Uttar Pradesh, under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the ratio is ideally placed at 200. How will the police in West Bengal combat crime and provide safety to people if the department does not have adequate manpower?” he asked.
The Chief Minister also reiterated his government’s zero-tolerance policy towards attacks on police personnel and the destruction of public property.
“Recently, there had been instances of stone-pelting on police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel at Park Circus, in which several security personnel were injured. On that day, I said on camera that if in the future there are similar attacks on policemen, I will be a bad police minister,” Adhikari said.
Referring to an incident of vandalism at a police outpost in Asansol, he said those responsible had faced action.
“We recovered the money from those involved in vandalism. Today, I remind you of the zero-tolerance approach on this issue,” the Chief Minister said.
Adhikari accused the previous Trinamool Congress government led by Mamata Banerjee of keeping the police force inactive and restricting its ability to act against crime.
“I know that the police forces in West Bengal are extremely capable. But they will have to be given the freedom to operate freely to prevent crime,” he added.
–IANS
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