3 min readBengaluruJun 11, 2026 09:45 AM IST
First published on: Jun 11, 2026 at 09:45 AM IST
In his first major review of Bengaluru’s policing and law-and-order system after taking charge as Karnataka Home Minister, Priyank Kharge said Wednesday that the government is considering a comprehensive Urban Mobility Plan to address traffic congestion.
The Karnataka home minister made the remarks after chairing a review meeting with senior Bengaluru police officers at the City police commissioner’s office. The meeting focused on cybercrime, women’s safety, narcotics control, traffic management and law and order.
“We are contemplating a Bengaluru Urban Mobility Plan involving all stakeholders, including the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), BMRCL (Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited ), the Transport Department, traffic police, and other civic agencies. The objective is to bring everyone onto a common platform and formulate a long-term strategy to address Bengaluru’s mobility challenges,” Kharge said.
Highlighting Bengaluru’s position as one of the country’s leading technology hubs, Kharge described cybercrime as a growing challenge and said the review meeting discussed measures to strengthen prevention and enforcement.
“Since the departments of e-Governance, IT-BT and Home are under my charge, it allows us to formulate integrated policies to address cybercrime, narcotics-related offences, traffic issues and broader law-and-order concerns,” he said.
Police-criminal link
Kharge also warned of action against police personnel found maintaining links with criminals and said such instances would not be tolerated.
“There have been cases where police officials were found attending parties and social gatherings with rowdy elements. Such matters must be viewed seriously and appropriate action will be initiated wherever necessary,” he said.
The minister also stressed the need for stricter monitoring of habitual offenders and said Anti-Rowdy Squads have been constituted at the police station level to curb criminal activities and deter repeat offenders.
The minister said detailed discussions were also held on drug trafficking networks, particularly the smuggling of narcotics and psychotropic substances through neighbouring states.
“Psychotropic substances are easier to transport and conceal than conventional narcotics. We reviewed the various trafficking patterns and discussed ways to strengthen enforcement and improve detection capabilities,” he said, adding that the government plans to increase the availability of drug detection and testing kits.
Kharge said the government had taken complaints about delays in registering FIRs and filing charge sheets seriously, adding that corrective measures would be implemented to ensure timely investigations and the prompt submission of charge sheets.
He said the issue had been discussed during the review and that steps would be taken to improve the efficiency of the criminal justice process.
Highlighting Bengaluru's position as one of the country's leading technology hubs, Kharge described cybercrime as a growing challenge. (Express Photo/Special Arrangement) 
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