Following police’s overexposure IG (Provisions) Vipul Shukla has issued instruction to cops and officials to wear full sleeve uniform from April 01. Sources said from imposing lockdown to asking people to maintain social distancing be it at medicine shops, veggies market, LPG cylinders distribution points the state police have found itself ‘too open’. Banks are another rubbing salt to cops said sources.
Sources said State police get more vulnerable when it rushes out to disperse gatherings.
Sources said Jharkhand has a large number of companies of CRPF, five of which are in Palamu district deployed at locations like Chak, Dagra, Harihurganj, Kooh Kooh Kalan and Taal. The popular perception among the people here is that CRPF is sitting safely on the back seat, while the state police are taking all the brunt of the virus, public criticism and risk to life.
Sources in state PHQ said, “ The visibility of police are too high and thus what you point out risk too is visible then no sane person can belie it as well but police will do its duty in all circumstances.”
These sources said the state PHQ’s plan is not to involve all brands of forces in this battle but to keep some beyond the line to be drawn into action if there arises any more calamitous situation.
Commandant 134 battalion of CRPF A D Sharma said, “We are not maintaining any safe distance. We are equally involved in our own way.
We with the local civil administration and police are making outreach with food to people in need of it like the one at Harihurganj where hundreds of labourers came from Bihar and UP and there my boys provided them food.”
Sharma said, “We have no earmarked regimental fund for outreach to fight hunger of the poor. We pooled in our own money and are arranging food for the needy. State police have too many funds while we are yet to get it. Our CRPF directorate is seriously mulling over this fund issue and once we get it we will be as on front as others.
Our own prepared masks are for the needy commoners, which our tailors have stitched but as we have no sterilization facility we cannot get it sterilized.”
Sharma said, “We on our own cannot start running unless a requisition comes from the concerned SP to walk down with police.”