Bengaluru: The reputation of India’s IT capital, Bengaluru, has taken a beating globally when investors abroad cited traffic issues as a reason for their reluctance to invest in the city, Home Minister Dr G. Parameshwar said.
Addressing the senior police officers on the conclusion of the crime prevention month, Mr Parameshwar said the city police have greater role and responsibility to maintain law and order and manage the traffic to ensure that the city would retain its reputation as the IT capital and a cosmopolitan city, the minister stated.
“We have a population of nearly 1.5 crore here in the city, in which the floating population is 25 lakh. We have people from all nook and corners of the country, multi-linguistic, diversified and the city has a cosmopolitan touch thereby increasing the responsibility of the police multifold,” the minister stated adding that the police will have to be alert. “Though crimes against women and children have been reported less in number compared to last year, one case like Delhi rape is enough to mar a city’s and the nation’s image globally,” the minister added. He appreciated the city police’s efforts in maintaining law and order over the last week, when three festivals Hanuman Jayanthi, Christmas and Eid-Milad fell in the same week and wrapped up without any incidents.
The city police commissioner apprised the Home Minister of the pattern of crimes and the crime statistics over the last two years, in the presence of minister’s advisor Kempaiah and DG & IGP Om Prakash and other senior police officers. “I learnt that the Bangalore City Police have about 7 lakh followers on Twitter and a majority of them re-tweet too – meaning to say 7 lakh citizens are closely watching the police activities and a majority of them are responding to them by re-tweeting. We cannot afford to fail them,” Mr Parameshwar said.
‘Follow police manual’
The minister mentioned that the police’s image in public minds should change. “People think if we go to a police station, cops demand money for the work they do. Complaints are not entertained seriously and some are not even registered. All I ask is to work according to the police manual. That’s all,” Mr Parameshwar said.
He sternly warned police officials against accepting privileges by way of money or any other favours from complainants or the accused. “I will not tolerate corruption in the department. No police officers will accept any money for the work they do for the public. There is a police manual in which it’s clearly mentioned whatever needs to be followed procedurally. I am not expecting you to work out of the way. Just follow the police manual which itself is enough for effective policing and let the whole society know that we are clean,” Mr Parameshwar said.
Download the all new Deccan Chronicle app for Android and iOS to stay up-to-date with latest headlines and news stories in politics, entertainment, sports, technology, business and much more from India and around the world.
