The opinion of the highlanders seem to be mixed regarding the High Court’s recent order of abolishing the traditional revenue police and replacing it with regular police.
While some hail the order saying that the revenue police are doing nothing to curb crimes now happening in the hills, the others say that they would become victims of police harassment in case the people-friendly revenue police is replaced with regular police.
Narendra of Chopta in Rudraprayag district said that those who are involved in timber/ liquor/drug smuggling and illegal mining activities in conjunction with a section of the politicians and administrative officers might be unhappy over the ruling.
“The revenue police are finding it increasing hard to contain such crimes riddled as they are with resource and staff crunch. We are sure that the advent of regular police would help things a lot in the hills,” he said.
However, Ajay Bisht from Ukhimath of the same district said that the entry of the regular police would augur ill for the peaceful texture of their collective life. “They would harass us for nothing. We have to probably bribe them into leaving us in peace,” he said.