The Karnataka Police has come out with an unique community-friendly programme for redressing grievances of people in the rural areas.

Titled the ‘Village Adoption’ programme, the programme envisages  each police station in the State adopting one village in its jurisdiction every year, and redress grievances of the people in that village, incluidng problems that may be outside the police purview.

While essentially the programme concerns the grievances of people vis-a-vis police, in case of the problem relating to other government department and agencies, it requires police to ensure that the people get justice. That may also may involve police facilitating a meeting between the person with the grievance and the officer concerned.

In the City and town areas, each police station should adopt a ward, an area, or a slum every year for similar activities. The adoption is to be effective from January 1 every year, and activities are to conducted through the year to infuse confidence among the people, and also to make the police people-friendly. However, as this is the first year, the respective police stations in the State should finalise the name of the village to be adopted this year by April 30.

A victims’ day

According to a circular issued by the Director General & Inspector General of Police to all police stations in the State, each police station should hold the ‘complainants/victims’ day’ in the police station on every third Sunday of the month. The complainant from the ‘adopted village’ should be invited for counseling, and appraised with the progress of the investigation.

Moreover, an hour-long ‘direct phone-in-programme’ through local TV channels should be held once in 15 days by the respective Superintendent of Police or Police Commissioner for solving the problems of the people.

Further, the circular requires the station officer and other police personnel from the police stations to have cordial relations with the people in the adopted village. Police officers are required to have contacts even with the other departments for problem-solving. Also, based on the severity of the problem, the Station Officer, PSI, respective Superintends of Police/Police Commissioners, and other high-level police officials should strive to solve the problem.

Bridge contact

In case the problem is outside the jurisdiction of the Police, the village residents should be told as which officer to approach and even try to arrange contact between the aggrieved and the official concerned, the circular says.

The new look

* Each police station to adopt a village

* This year, April 30 is last date to adopt the respective villages

* Adoption of new village on every January 1

* Phone-in-programme once in 15 days