BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday commended the Odisha police as a disciplined, people-oriented and efficient force due to whose relentless efforts the state has maintained its identity as a peaceful place in the country.
His statement at the conference of the district collectors and superintendents of police has come as a morale booster for the beleaguered state uniformed force, which is at the receiving end in the wake of the Bharatpur police station incident where an army officer was allegedly assaulted and his fiancée sexually harassed by cops.
“There are exceptions in every field and these should not be used to paint the whole police force and the policing system with the same brush,” Majhi said.
The chief minister, however, warned that while the government stands with the police force, it will not spare any laxity in dealing with crime against women. The police should accord top priority to women safety and attend to them with proper courtesy when they visit the police station even late in the night, he said.
He also directed that there should be zero tolerance of crime and criminals in the state and the police should act swiftly and efficiently to provide timely justice to the victims.
Majhi sought a report from the DGP on districtwise data of crime against women, pending cases and other information within a week. Expressing concern over the poor conviction rate in cases of crime against women in the state in the past 22 years, the chief minister said it was only 9.7 per cent during the period. “This only shows one thing - either police investigation in such cases is not proper or there is disinterest in ensuring speedy justice. This attitude will by no means be tolerated by our government,” he warned.
Observing that the cases of eve-teasing have increased in the state, the chief minister said police should ensure that girls, students and women can move freely without any fear. Majhi also appealed to the Maoists to shun violence and return to the social mainstream. He promised all support from the government for modernisation, training and filling up vacancies. “A roadmap has been prepared to make the Odisha police one of the best in the country,” he said.
Addressing the concluding session of the conference, the chief minister said social justice and inclusive governance is the goal of the BJP government and asked officials to ensure that these are implemented properly. The chief minister also told mediapersons the process to form a special battalion for the Shree Jagannath temple at Puri has started for which 1,043 personnel will be recruited. The state government has also decided to fill up 1,922 posts in police force soon, he said.