By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 5 Nov: Director General of Police Abhinav Kumar chaired a review meeting today to discuss crime, law and order, and traffic management through video conferencing with all zone/district in-charges, SSPs and SPs and officials from the STF/Railways.
The DGP directed all district in-charges to compulsorily register crimes. He emphasised that crime reduction by registering crimes under less serious provisions should not be done under any circumstances. He also noted that the reasons for fluctuations in crime rates should be reviewed at the police station and circle levels and addressed accordingly. Districts performing below 61 percent in property recovery were instructed by him to improve their recovery rates. A comparative evaluation of crime figures between plains and hill districts should also be conducted separately.
Kumar further issued instructions to take effective action against criminals with rewards on their heads and to run campaigns to reunite missing persons with their families as part of “Operation Smile”. He stated that all district in-charges should thoroughly study the legal processes for cases registered under the new BNS laws and familiarise themselves with any challenges with respect to their application. The DGP asserted that the police personnel will receive training at the respective police station level, and from 2025 onwards, district in-charges will be held accountable for supervision.
To highlight the success of BNS during the DGP/IGP conference, all district in-charges were instructed to share the positive impact of the new laws on the public, particularly in comparison to the old laws. During a review of e-FIR and Zero FIR cases, Kumar emphasised that any issues or feedback arising should be addressed by analysing the data. He also noted that both the general public and people living outside Uttarakhand prefer online FIRs, and that efforts need to be made to improve this system in the future.
In view of the recent bus accident in Almora, the DGP directed district-level police officers to take strong action by running special campaigns against overloaded vehicles, illegal vehicles, and drunk drivers. In cases of road accidents caused by overloading, a case should be registered against the vehicle owners, drivers, and conductors, following the guidelines in the SOP starting 10 November onwards.
Kumar also directed the officials to identify and verify the hotspots of road accidents caused by overloading over the past 10 years across the state. Special signage, glowing boards, crash barriers, etc., should be installed at these locations.
The DGP observed that the general public faces significant inconvenience when national highways are blocked or trains stopped due to dharnas or procession demonstrations. He asserted that a case should be filed against such anti-social elements. Additionally, coordination should be established with relevant stakeholders, ensuring they are fully informed about the new instructions.
During the meeting, it was also proposed to organise a joint Nanda Devi expedition with the ITBP on the 25th foundation day of Uttarakhand in the coming year, as well as the Ganga Safai Abhiyan campaign by rafting from Gangotri till Haridwar. Other public awareness programmes will also be organised at both district and state levels.
Kumar also asserted that preparations should begin now to ensure the smoother conduct of the Char Dham Yatra next year. In this regard, instructions were given to install electronic signboards, mark holding area capacities, and parking areas, in line with the guidelines previously sent from headquarters. All districts were directed to submit a report on any issues or suggestions related to the Char Dham Yatra within one week.
Among those present at the meeting were ADG AP Anshuman, IG KS Nagnyal, IG Nilesh Anand Bharne, Director, Traffic, Arun Mohan Joshi, Director of Traffic, IGs Senthil, A Krishna Raj, SP Renuka Devi and other officials.
