In order to maintain law and order and provide better administration, State police had sent a proposal seeking upgradation of 19 reporting police posts to police stations and establishment of eight police stations in the revenue police area of the State in February 2014 but this proposal is still pending with the State Government.
Uttarakhand Director General of Police BS Sidhu said, “In order to provide better policing in the State, we have raised this issue with the State Home Minister, Pritam Singh, in a meeting held on Wednesday and the Minister assured that Government would soon address the issue.”
On condition of anonymity, a senior police officer said that in view of increasing population due to migration to revenue police areas for livelihood and tourism activities; adverse geographical conditions and for launching swift relief and rescue operation after disaster; reducing crime cases and facilitating smooth flow of traffic in revenue police area, it is need of the hour to replace the revenue police with regular police.
Moreover, several police stations in the State cover large areas and effective policing is not possible unless police posts are upgraded. Sources, in the police department revealed that the after analysing all these aspects and for providing effective policing in the State, the police department had sent several reminders in writing to the State Government seeking upgradation of 19 police posts to police stations and setting up of eight police stations to provide effective policing but this proposal is still pending with the Government.
There are large number police posts in the State which are facing lack of basic amenities like rooms for sitting, toilets, lock up and other facilities.Recently, a constable who was deputed to a police post in Nainital district died after being attacked by an escaping thief as prison was not available in the police post.Several police stations cover large areas which results in rise of crime cases apart from which, people have to travel long distance to register an FIR in the police station.
The police posts which the State police has proposed for upgradation are reporting police post at Guptkashi, Agastyamuni in Rudraprayag district, Harshil in Uttarkashi, Govindghat, Garisain in Chamoli; Kaliyar Sharif and SIIDCUl in Haridwar; Premnagar in Dehradun; Kempti and Hindolakhal in Tehri; Mukhani and Banbhulpura in Nainital; Chaukhutiya in Almora; Kausani in Bageshwar; Dankaiya, Pulbata, Transit Camp, Kelakhera and ITI in Udham Singh Nagar district.
The revenue police areas where the police had proposed establishment of police stations are Tyuni in Dehradun, Mori in Uttarkashi, lambgaon and Thatyur in Tehri; Thalisain in Pauri, Danya in Almora, Pati in Champawat and Kanda in Bageshwar.