The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Facelift for 1,600 police stations : DGP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 18, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Facelift for 1,600 police stations : DGP

By Our Staff Reporter

NALGONDA, OCT. 17. Police stations, which are in bad shape in the State, will get a facelift as part of a special scheme taken up by the Government, said the Director-General of Police, S.R.Sukumara, while addressing a gathering in the renovated Vyas conference hall here on Sunday. The DGP said that about 1,600 old buildings would be either renovated or repaired in the next three years. Work on more than 300 such police stations would be taken up this year.

Stating that some stations were in a "primitive condition,'' the head of the Police Department said that sufficient facilities for the public would also be made available in the new buildings. "The people who want to file complaints or meet the police officers are waiting under nearby trees. The special scheme is going to avoid any discomfort to them and also provide good facilities for the constabulary.''

Lauds SP's services

Mr.Sukumara lauded the services of the Superintendent of Police, N.Balasubramanyam, who has been shifted to the Greyhounds, allegedly due to political pressure exerted by some MLAs of the district. Reacting to a reporter's question on the growing political interference in the transfer of police officers, the DGP said that it was sad. "It is not good to transfer an officer in three years after his posting. As an SP 30 years ago, I never met Ministers. But now even MLAs are unfortunately demanding that they must be consulted before appointing or transferring SIs of their area,'' he maintained.

Appeal to media

He appealed to the media to write more on the people's views on such officers of high integrity. "You must strengthen our hands to ask them (politicians) not to resort to mid-term transfers. Anyhow, we have to cope with today's reality,'' he added.

The IG (Hyderabad range), C.Ratna Reddy, the DIG, D.Tirumala Rao, district judge, K.Ashok Babu, Collector, K.Vijayanand, and the ZP chairperson, Keetha Laxmamma, also took part.

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