An Assembly Standing Committee relating to the Home Department has asked the State Government to increase manpower in the existing police stations (PSs) and set up more PSs in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack in view of the law and order problem assuming alarming proportions.
The panel headed by MlA Ramesh Chandra Chyaupatnaik has also suggested strengthening the PCR system and allotting more number of vehicles for effective patrolling with a view to tackling the multifarious law and order problems.
Informing that a team of Senior Officers visited Vijayawada to study the method adopted there to increase the conviction rate, the committee suggested for a 'Vijayawada Model' on a pilot basis in the Commissionerate police are to increase the conviction rate.
The panel also suggested for setting up of two 500-bed capacity barracks for providing accommodation to the police personnel working under the Commissionerate of Police.
Stating that the road mishap is on the rise in the highways due to lack of highway patrolling, the committee recommended that patrolling be raised at strategic and sensitive points in a phased manner to identify the speedy vehicles and punish the offenders to minimise the road mishaps. The committee also suggested for proper training to police personnel manning cyber police stations and setting up of more cyber PSs. ,
In fire services sector, the panel recommended for increase in inspection of high rise buildings, clinical establishments, shopping complexes and cinema halls and an additional budgetary provision of Rs 12 crore for procurement of three hydraulic platforms for cities like Brahmapur, Sambalpur and Rourkela for tackling fire mishap in buildings.
The committee too recommended for operation of all 335 fire stations functional. By now, 21 fire stations have not been made functional.
It recommended for proper training to Home Guard volunteers for maintenance of law and order and traffic and establishment of staff quarters and purchase of 44 light vehicles in phased manner.
Besides, the panel recommended that non-functional jails be closed down as early as possible and they be fruitfully utilised for other purposes and the staff of the non-functional jails be diverted and deployed in other jails.
The panel also suggested for identifying of land for shifting of Jharpada Jail to the vicinity of the Jamujhari open air jail.