Police conduct camp for spot redressal of grevancies

Saturday, June 12, 1999

The Joint Superintendent of Police (JSP) Mr. Sandeep Mittal , said the response to the move was over- whelming as over 3000 people , most of whom villagers from Agaram, Kaliyavur , Manakarai, Pakkapatti, Vallanadu and Morappanad , participated in the camp and interacted with the police personal freely without fear or inhibition. The SHO , SI and all the police station staff were present there.

A significant feature of the camp was that not only people belonging to different social strata and various communities took part in it but there was absolute harmony and cohesion among the participants , he said ,adding that a large number of women also aired their grievances .Several villagers submitted petitions to the JSP seeking police intervention to solve some local issues and disputes . Even while presenting petitions against ‘erring ‘ policemen , the villagers had not failed to appreciate the role played by the efficient and sincere police personal in their areas.

While on-the-spot decisions were taken vis-a-vis criminal cases and instructions had been given to book cases under appropriate sections of the IPC and other relevant laws, the police had decided to forward other petitions connected to civil problems pertaining to water supply , land disputes etc. , to the district administration , Mr. Mittal said.

Soon after the interaction with the people, propaganda cassettes recently issued by the Superintendent of Police, Mr. Rajesh Das, to create awareness among the people on how to act during emergencies with particular reference to handling of suspicious objects, were played at the camp, he said. A kabaddi match between the police and public was also organised as part of the camp. Youths from Manakarai, Agaram and Vallanadu participated in the match with tremendous enthusiasm.

Mr. Mittal expressed the view that if genuine grievance of the people in the rural areas were not redressed properly, they might try to settle the scores themselves. ‘This kind of camps are useful in strengthening the grievances redressal machinery at the police station level. ”

The Tuticorin (Rural) police had plans to organise such camps every month. ‘We have made a humble but good beginning now; yet there is a long way to go “, he opined.