M.P. Prakash

BANGALORE: The State Government, apparently alarmed by the increasing incidence of anti-social activities, will take stern steps, including invoking the provisions of the Goonda Act, to curb such activities.

Home Minister M.P. Prakash told The Hindu here on Monday that directions would be issued to the Bangalore City Police in particular and the State police in general to take preventive steps, including detaining the anti-social elements.

Meeting

The Home Minister has convened a high-level meeting here on Tuesday when instructions would be issued on maintenance of law and order.

Director General and Inspector General of Police B.S. Sial, Bangalore city Police Commissioner N. Achuta Rao and Vatsala Vatsa, Principal Secretary to the Government, Home Department, have been asked to attend the meeting.

The police would be told to book the anti-social elements under the provisions of the Karnataka Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Drug Offenders, Gamblers, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders and Slum Grabbers Act, 1985.

Procedure

The authorities rarely invoke the provisions of this Act since it involves a detailed procedure and the detention has to be approved by an advisory board.

In the view of the Government, most of the incidents involving anti-social elements in Bangalore related to sharing of the booty in illegal business and this had to be curbed.

Police cover

Mr. Prakash said that apart from incidents involving anti-social elements, the Government had decided to provide adequate police cover to the information technology belt in Bangalore comprising Electronics City, Hulimavu, HSR Layout, Bommasandra, and Whitefield and adjoining areas.

A new police district for these areas has been constituted. Seven new police stations have been approved for these areas.

These steps have been taken on priority by the Government following several incidents, including murders and robberies.

The State police have been directed to speed up the recruitment of 4,500 civil and reserve police constables.

Recruitment

It is the first time that such a large-scale recruitment drive has been approved.

Irrespective of this recruitment drive, the Bangalore City Police will still have a shortage of personnel.

The Home Minister said that the Union Government had approved a large part of the modernisation plan of the State police.

The Union Government had approved supply of some of the latest weapons and equipment used in investigation, the Home Minister said.

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