In a move to better planning in infrastructural and road projects to ensure safety and security aspects, the Central Government has decided to include police forces in policy decisions pertaining to town planning, road engineering and policy making. The Centre has also directed the States to positively involve police forces while framing policy and town planning. The Centre stated the policy makers’ needs to “re-orient themselves as all the policy needs to be looked from safety/security aspects”.
Sources said following the directions of the Prime Minister Office. the Ministry of Home Affairs will interact with all the Central Ministries, autonomous bodies and State Government and come up with proper proposal and notification in this regard.
Citing that in India, more than 1,50,000 people are killed each year — 400 fatalities a day — in traffic accidents, the Prime Minister Office pointed out that the Government bodies need to involve the police forces in town planning and road engineering.
“They can provide more insight as they are most of the time patrolling the city and looking after the safety of the people,” said a senior official involved in making it happen soon. Be it welfare policy related to scavengers, senior citizens, women safety, pension schemes, health, land and agriculture policies, the police has role to play. “With bringing them on board, the policies can be made more realistic and they can provide added insight into the existing problems,” said the officer.
He further pointed out deaths due to potholes, unmanned railways crossing, or building collapse can be minimised bring police on board. He cited in 2017 alone 3,597 were killed due to potholes which is than 50 per cent rise over the toll compared to 2016 which registered 2,324 deaths. Further the officer stressed that more than 10,000 people die while crossing railway tracks across India. In Delhi and Mumbai, the figure crosses 4,000 on average every year.
The safety aspect can be looked upon by law enforcement agencies and the can come up with their suggestion wherein flyovers over railways tracks can be made or where railways tracks can be fenced.
The Centre also stated that police deals with all kinds cases and they are the ones who gain hand knowledge while dealing with it. “They can help the lawmakers with their practical knowledge,” the officer added that police is spread across the country of nook and corner and their ideas and experience can be better utilised for making a proper policy for the people.