PM tells cops to be more proactive at grassroot level

PM tells cops to be more proactive at grassroot level
NEW DELHI : Addressing the All India Conference of Director Generals/Inspector Generals of Police on Thursday Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reaffirmed the security apprehensions home minister Shivraj Patil’s expressed on Wednesday.
He said there was a need to comprehensively counter the challenge posed by terrorism and exhorted the security apparatus to be “alert” and “resilient enough” to meet it.
The Prime Minister emphasised the need for better intelligence gathering and better coordination between the Centre and states and amongst the states themselves.
Singh called for a more responsive police machinery at the grassroot level, which is more gender sensitive, humane and respectful of the rights of citizens. He further stressed the need to strengthen the civil police at the police station level and for speedy action on police reforms.
Referring to the need for faster development of naxalite-affected areas, the Prime Minister suggested the police lay greater focus on employment generation, land reforms, better education and improved health facilities.
The Prime Minister also presented the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service 2006 to eight officers of the Intelligence Bureau.
Later while interacting with the officers attending the conference, Home Secretary VK Duggal said, overall internal security situation in the country is very much on its way to improvement on all fronts.
He further informed that in Kashmir, infiltration has come down in the last couple of months and in the North-East, incidents of violence are by and large contained.
In many of the Naxal-affected states also, incidents of violence have gone down and Chhattisgarh is also showing signs of improvement. However, many challenges remain which have to be met resolutely, he added.
Duggal said that internal security situation has to be managed jointly by the Centre and the state governments.