While the State police are waiting for the instruction from the state government over the execution of the High Court’s order dated January 12 of replacing revenue police with regular police in six months speculations are rife in the state police headquarters that the state government is all set to move Supreme Court to have the ruling reversed. However, at the same time, the state police have started preparation, including extending the limits of the police stations in the revenue areas. It is learnt that the state administrative officers have recently sought a report of crimes from the tehsildars in the revenue areas and the top police brass have discussed the matter in details among themselves.
Earlier, the state police brass had hailed the landmark ruling of the High Court on ending revenue police system, saying that it would help them establish regular police stations on a large scale to check crimes with the help of the trained, tech-savvy, well-equipped police personnel. Police sources said that the state police are planning to merge the revenue areas in the existing police station areas so that minimum number of police stations are formed, given the state’s financial constraints.
In Dehradun, the district police have sent a proposal of merging 223 revenue villages in regular police areas to the police headquarters. It is learnt that the top officials are considering the proposal and the final call might be taken soon. Sources say that 90 revenue villages in Kalsi, 106 villages in Chakrata and 27 villages in Tyuni would be merged in regular police.
According to a decision taken much before the High Court’s order of replacing revenue police with regular police, two police stations and one reporting police post had been set up in the revenue areas in Pauri district.
Additional director general of police (law and order) Ashok Kumar said that the state administration is yet to give them any instruction regarding setting up police stations and posts in the revenue areas. However, they were clearing grounds for the switch on their own, he said, adding that the police district chiefs have been directed to send the report on the number of police stations required in the revenue areas under their jurisdictional limits.
Mention worthy, the Nainital High Court had ordered the abolition of the revenue police system, started way back in 1861 by then British India government, while asking the state government to replace revenue police with regular police in six months.