Home ministry plan to give a gentle face to police force

Special Secretary V S Mathur was asked to coordinate the effort. Though some Ministry officials had reservations, deliberations are still on. According to sources, the issue came up at a Ministry meeting only this week.

Home Minister Indrajit Gupta is said to have been particularly interested in the subject — police reforms being a pet concern of his.

Officials concede that departments like the armed battalions should continue to be manned overwhelmingly by constables.

But the idea is to have a much larger proportion of officers in the “civil police” — meaning departments like the Special Branch, Crime Branch, Traffic Police and the police station staff.

A senior Ministry official argues the plan would not cost much in terms of salary and allowances. “Sixty or 70 ASIs (Assistant sub-inspectors) will cost no more than a hundred constables and head constables.” Since policemen below the rank of ASI cannot be assigned the task of investigating a crime, a police station with more ASIs can take on more cases. The police are often reluctant to register cases because of the shortage of ASIs and sub-inspectors (SIs), he says.

Under the plan, the police forces will slash recruitment at the constable level and concentrate of taking on as SIs young people who have studied at least till the higher secondary. Constables already in service will be encouraged to take examinations for promotion to the ASI rank.

Those pushing the officers-for-men idea feel the plan will reduce stagnation in the police forces where a majority of recruits retire as constables and head constables. This leads to frustration, corruption and boorish behaviour towards members of the public, the argument goes.

Instead, the ASI-recruits could perhaps look forward to more regular promotions after departmental exams.And more self-esteem will lead to some other spin-offs. “An ASI will not agree to work as an orderly or a gardener for his seniors,” an official says, citing the fate of constables who are put on duties they were never trained for.

If the Home Ministry does emerge with a plan of changing at least the public-dealing face of the police, its next task would be to sell it to the State governments — law and order being a State subject. Despite much prodding from the Centre, the states are yet to implement the major recommendations of the National Police Commission. In fact, the Ministry is now looking into the possibility of implementing some of the Commission’s recommendations in union territories and police organisations which fall under the Centre’s control.

These recommendations include the selection of police chiefs through a panel, rather than by the Chief Minister. Also suggested is a police complaints authority to take up public complaints against the police.