Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had high praises for the 'Khakhi’ and held the media responsible for not showing the achievements of the Police Department. However, to improve the image of the police as well as to make them more people friendly, Akhilesh also launched many schemes. "Police mostly face criticism on law and order front for which they were also accountable for but on the other side, good and outstanding work done by the cops went unnoticed as the same has been not properly high-lighted”, claimed Akhilesh Yadav, while alleging that the achievements of the Police Department has not been properly highlighted due to “politics”. “Despite allegations of all kind on the state police in the past three years...it is not as if everything is bad”, added Akhilesh while defending the members of law enforcing agencies. He made about comments while addressing a press conference called here at his residence on Saturday morning just to launch some citizen centric services. at his official residence.
Going further on his claims over the much publicised 'poor’ law and order situation in the state, Akhilesh said statistics would prove what is the actual standing of some states which make tall claims on this front. Governor Ram Naik had recently said that law and order in the state needs improvement and that the Chief Minister and SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav also felt so. “People in the government will have to continuously work hard as governance is the only way to improve law and order,” Akhilesh said, and noted that despite police not being taken seriously, people have hopes from them and that is why gunners are sought (for security purposes). He said that a study is being conducted to cut short the response time of police and monetary provisions for the same could be made for it in the next budget.
Stressing that use of technology was a must in policing with changing times, the Chief Minister said the work of introducing it was not taken up by previous governments. His government would pay attention on training, infrastructure among others for improving the police force, he said and hoped that the manner in which his government was working would bear good results in the time to come. “Good policing not just improves the image of the government but also encourages industries and factories to come here,” he said, and observed that the society too has a responsibility to check crime.
“Besides the police, the society is also responsible to check the wrong being committed around us,” he said. On the occasion, Akhilesh launched apps for lost article reporting and institutional security, social media lab, smart city surveillance project, installation of CCTV cameras in police stations and their upgradation. He also expressed happiness that the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had appreciated the demands and working of the police during his recent visit. It may be mentioned here that UP Government demanded Rs 6000 crore from the centre in the name of modernizing the police force within next three years so that they could ready to face any growing challenges ahead including on terror and law and order front.
Giving details of the new services that are launched on the occasion, Director General of Police, Arun Kumar Gupta said that now people could file on-line complaint of any of their important missing documents like, driving license, passport etc. Similarly, just by pushing a button, any registered establishment could get services of cops of three nearest police station within five minutes of passing on SOS call. He claimed that to check rumours from spreading through social network, they had started a 'Social Media Network labortaory’ to check such anti-social activities. lastly, they would install 280 Close Circuit Televisions cameras at 70 crossings of the state capital to keep a close eye on each and every activity. likewise two CCTVs cameras would be fitted on all the GRP police stations. Besides Akhilesh Yadav, Arun Kumar Gupta, many other senior officers including chief secretary, Alok Ranjan, principal secretary (Home) Devasheesh Panda, were present on the occasion.