At 117 in last one year,UP had most cops killed in line of duty

A total of 576 police personnel died in the whole country between September 1,2012 and August 31,2013.

The state has witnessed an increased number of attacks on police personnel in last one year. Many police officials lost their lives in the incidents where the police teams were attacked when they had gone to arrest the accused.

Among those killed on duty include one Additional Superintendent of Police,two deputy SPs and eleven sub-inspectors.

However,neither Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav,who was the chief guest,nor the DGP mentioned the increasing attacks on the police personnel in their speeches.

The toll in UP is higher than the Naxal-affected states of Bihar,Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand,which witnessed 29,37 and 40 killings of police personnel,respectively. Akhilesh gave Rs 25,000 and a shawl to the family members of slain police officials.

Among the family members who were present on the occasion were Parveen Azad,widow of deputy SP

Zia-ul Haq who was murdered by the villagers in Balipur in March this year.

In his speech,the CM said that the technical expertise of the police personnel needs to improved in order to make them capable of handling various crimes.

He said the DGP and the Principal Secretary (Home) should prepare a plan to provide technical training to the police personnel.

The CM said the state government is going to set up hi-tech police control rooms in Lucknow,Allahabad,Ghaziabad and Kanpur.

Discussing the plans,the CM said that the policemen employed with these control rooms will be given special allowance. Not only this,the state government,he said,will ensure that a large number of female police officers are also posted with these control rooms.

Akhilesh said that his government is planning to create posts of assistant sub-inspectors. He said the constables and head constables appearing for direct recruitment to the post of sub-inspector will be given reprieve of five years in upper-age limit.

Among several other things,the chief minister said a hostel for police officials and a visitor’s room will be built at every police station in a phased manner.

Akhilesh further announced that all sub-inspector rank officials will be given Closed User Group (mobile subscribers who can only make and receive calls from members within the group) numbers to improve the working of the state police.

He said the police should work to provide better law and order situation and maintain the communal harmony.