The Hindu : Front Page : Police Commissionerates for five more cities

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 06, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

Police Commissionerates for five more cities

Special Correspondent

Increased problems of law and order necessitate new set-up

HYDERABAD: The cities of Warangal, Guntur, Rajahmundry, Tirupati and Kurnool will be made urban police districts shortly and each will be headed by a Commissioner as in the case of Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam.

These cities have been upgraded into municipal corporations but their present police set-up, headed by a Superintendent of Police, is not commensurate with the increased problems of law and order, crime and traffic, said Home Minister K. Jana Reddy on Friday.

Speaking to The Hindu here, Mr. Reddy said the upgradation of Warangal, Rajahmundry, Guntur, Tirupati and Kurnool into urban police districts, which was long overdue, was delayed due to lack of budget. "Things are alright now. The proposals will now take shape."

A senior police official said these cities would have a strong policing system with separate wings to look after law & order, crime and traffic. The Commissioners would be equipped with magisterial powers, now confined to Collectors.

The Home Minister dispelled apprehensions that the tribal police battalion, being formed with tribal boys with Sattupalli in Khammam districts as headquarters, would be used exclusively to combat naxalites.

Although it would have nearly 1,200 men from scheduled areas, the battalion would not be called 15th Battalion. Mr. Jana Reddy said the Government had confined the 15 Battalion to tribals with a view to giving them employment opportunities and removing the ill-feeling among them that it was doing nothing for the tribals. Age, educational qualification and physical fitness parameters would be relaxed for them. The notification for the mass recruitment would be issued shortly. Mr. Reddy said a new force named "Marine Police" would come into existence soon to guard the State's 930-km-long coast.

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