Against the backdrop of a series of untoward incidents, including the rape-cum-murder of a seven-year-old girl followed by stone-pelting on the Chief Minister's car recently in Haldwani, it is now a matter of opinion whether the role of the senior officials of the district administration is just to maintain protocol in the service of their political masters during their visit or more.
The fact is that among others, senior officials like Commissioner of Kumaon and District Magistrate, Nainital, who were seldom seen on the ground when stirs were on and things were tense in the aftermath of the rape-cum-murder case in Haldwani last week, made their presence strongly felt during Chief Minister Harish Rawat's visit to the family members of the victim at Kathgodam's Shishmahal.
These senior officials were nowhere to be seen when the agitated crowd took to the streets, resulting in the market places and other public institutions remaining closed for two consecutive days in the region.However, despite their presence along with other senior police officials, including ADGP (law and order) and DIG (Kumaon range) and SSP Nainital, someone from the mob succeeded to breach the Chief Minister's security in the vicinity of the bereaved family's residence.
Some of the junior-level police officials, including ASP Nainital and CO, Haldwani have been transferred for this lapse. However, no action has been taken against any of the senior officials. Saga of failure of the Nainital district administration and the police does not end here. As the people here recounted, had the police been a bit serious at the initial stage of the investigation of the infamous rape-cum-murder case, perhaps the suspects could have been nabbed the day of the crime itself.
More so, lathi-charge by the Nainital district police on the media representatives even after CM’s meeting with the bereaved family with things having almost settled down, has also raised question over the functioning of the Nainital district police or for that matter, the district administration Nainital.
Many a media people here are of the view that after the Chief Minister's visit, there was no need to resort to baton-charge on part of the Nainital district police on the media representatives or on others who were around there. These incidents show things warrant a revision of the role of the Government's administrative machinery where colonial hangover seems to be ruling the roost.