ROURKELA: Rourkela police is under tremendous pressure following a spurt in crimes in the city in the last few days.
Locals feel the police must adopt proactive and pre-emptive measures to restore confidence of people on the department while creating fear among criminals.
Several factors like indifference of police, IICs’ lack of contact with general public, absence of visible action against criminals and anti-socials and rise in substance abuse are to be blamed for the overall deterioration in law and order in the city.
Amid call for crackdown on criminals, the BJD recently took to the streets and submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. Talking TNIE, Rourkela MLA Sarada Prasad Nayak said there is a complete breakdown of law and order in the city which has been witnessing an unprecedented surge in crimes against women, murders, robberies, gang war, contraband smuggling, narcotics abuse and even theft of government assets. He said criminals and anti-social elements regularly congregate at isolated spots in the city where they consume alcohol and abuse drugs. But police officers deliberately turn a blind eye to the menace while waiting for crimes to occur. He said the common people of Rourkela have lost faith on police with criminals and anti-social elements showing no fear of the men in khaki.
Rourkela organisational district convenor of Bajrang Dal Rakesh Sharma attributed the alarming scenario to easy and unrestricted access to alcohol and drugs. He said Rourkela SP was apprised of the issue and asked to dismantle the drug racket and restrict consumption of alcohol in the open.
A delegation of Rourkela District Congress Committee (RDCC) led by its president Rabi Ray met Rourkela DIG Brijesh Kumar Rai and stressed the need for effective action against drug and alcohol abuse in the city.
Women representatives of at least 11 social organisations had recently held a demonstration and demanded Rourkela ADM and Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) commissioner Ashutosh Kulkarni to take steps to combat violence against women and children. They demanded strengthening of police patrolling and surveillance at vulnerable areas, proper street lighting, awareness programmes on safety of women and children and support services for victims.
However, Rai said culprits have been arrested in all criminal incidents and police patrolling and surveillance strengthened in the city. He said the community policing programme too has been revived and steps are being taken to install CCTV cameras across the city. In the last eight days three minors were gangraped within RN Pali and Plant Site police limits while an 11-year-old girl child was raped within Uditnagar police limits and a girl was molested in her school. A youth was murdered in sector 7.
Similarly, over 30 anti-socials attacked members of a rival gang on Jail Road.