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Police reforms: Ministry convenes meet

Special Correspondent

Steps to expedite compliance with apex court directive to be discussed

NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has convened a meeting of Chief Secretaries and Advisers of Union Territories (UTs) here on February 1 on police reforms.

It will discuss steps to expedite compliance with the Supreme Court directive on reforms and to frame a model police Act for the UTs.

The meeting comes close on the heels of the ruling of the apex court on January 11, dismissing the plea of the States and UTs to modify or review its earlier directives of September 22 on implementation of reforms.

The Supreme Court, however, gave four weeks time for implementing its directives in regard to selection and tenure of DGP, terms of IGP and other senior police officers and composition of a police establishment board. Time till March 31 was given for complying with its orders on setting up State Security Commissions, Police Complaint Authority and separation of investigation wing from that of law and order.

With States not ready to let go their control over the police force, Home Minister Shivraj Patil recently held a high-level meeting to discuss the nitty-gritty of a model police Act. Taking note of factors such as corruption and a police-mafia nexus affecting functioning of the police, the panel recommended several measures to infuse greater professionalism and insulating the force from undue pressures.

The meetingreviewed clause-by-clause of the draft of the proposed legislation suggested by a panel set up under senior counsel Soli Sorabjee to re-draft the 150-year Police Act.

The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal, Home Secretary V.K. Duggal, Legal Affairs and Legislative Affairs Secretaries, Director-General of the Bureau of Police Research and Development, Director of Intelligence Bureau and Special Secretary (Internal Security).

The draft legislation seeks to make the police more people-friendly to enlist public participation in policing and lays special emphasis on effective performance evaluation and accountability mechanisms.

The Centre has also set up a Commission on National Security and Central Police Personnel Welfare headed by the Home Minister. The mandate of the panel includes selection and placement of heads of Central Police Organisations, something not palatable to most of the States.

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