THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj April 16: The fourth session of Jan Shikaayat Samadhan programme on the initiative of the DGP Anurag Gupta, which began on September 10, 2024, saw men and women reaching the session held here in the town thana today braving the Sun and viral fever, which is on the rage here in the town.
The Jharkhand Story correspondent met one such visitor who said, “I am having viral fever. The paracetamol tablet has brought me here. I am confident I will be heard in the Jan Shikaayat.”
Asked if he had been to the previous three such sessions held here in the town thana, to which this viral fever ridden man said, “No. But I have come to know that petitions filed here are not abandoned. It is not trashed. It’s taken into account.”
Top Brass Reassures Prompt Action
IG of Police, Palamu Zone Sunil Bhaskar, who chaired the session along with the co-chair lady Reeshma Ramesan, SP of Palamu, said,” This is a bold initiative of the DGP. It helps us in bridging the gap between the police and the public.”
Asked that a complainant still struggles to lodge his complaint with the police, which curtly ask the complainant to fend for himself, to which IG Sunil Bhaskar said, “Police officials showing apathy or indifference towards lodging FIR are now facing the music. Warnings are issued to such a lax police officer. Award of Censors is not far away from them. There are stiffer measures in the offing for those police officers who shoo away the complainant.”
Also Read- Jharkhand News: Dumka medical college students protest for basic amenities
IG said some police stations have been pulled up for refusing to lodge the FIRs. “Police officer can’t deny lodging the FIR on the pretext of the load of work. Do it before the matter comes to us. That will bring in loads of troubles for such a police officer who dilly-dallies lodging the FIRs.”
150 FIRs Filed Following Past Sessions
There have been 150 FIRs lodged in the police zone following the three previous sessions of the Jan Shikaayat Samadhan programme, added the IG.
Complaints about POCSO offences, atrocities against SC and ST, NDPS Acts too resurface in this session.
“There was a complainant who was duped of 40 lakhs of rupees by the cyber fraud and police officials were denying him to lodge an FIR. In one such session of Jan Shikaayat Samadhan, this matter came to our notice. We intervened. His FIR was finally lodged,” added the IG.
Here in sheer departure from the common practice, SP Reeshma Ramesan interrupted her IG all to tell the gathering today and with due permission of the IG, Reeshma Ramesan said, “It’s not only that FIR was lodged. We have identified a company in UP where a huge sum of the duped money has been credited to.”
Following this feedback coming from the SP, IG went on to reassure the public that police would leave no stone unturned to retrieve the money duped by the cyber fraud.
Also Read- Two hardcore Naxals killed in Chhattisgarh encounter
Resolution Rate Surpasses Case Pendency
SP and IG gave a glimpse of the status of the complaints district-wise and of the zone in totality.
Reeshma Ramesan claimed the strike rate of resolution of the issues is ahead of the pendency of the cases. Cases are pending where the police have no direct say like cases of land disputes, property division etc.
IG Sunil Bhaskar said, “Such a session promotes positivity. It helps to sensitise the public. I agree there is always room for improvement.”
IG straightway asked this correspondent to ‘be not pessimist but to begin to look at things with hope.’ This correspondent had contested that in order to make this Jan Shikaayat Samadhan programme a household name, its features are to be made over. First it shouldn’t be Jan Shikaayat for how can police solve the problem of choking drainage or overflowing of the dirty waste on the street. Two, the Jan Shikayat should be rechristened as Shikayaat against the thana/ police and then see what an avalanche of complaints comes in.
Also Read- Mamata Banerjee declares Rs 10 lakh aid for kin of deceased in Murshidabad violence
Direct Orders Restore Public Confidence
Right in this session today, a man told this correspondent that his name has been falsely implicated in the Mahua fruit picking case.
The Jan Shikaayat Samadhan programme has one big consolation and relief for all. Senior police officers give full attention to the complainants. Orders/ Instructions are written straight on the petition right before the petitioner. It strengthens his trust in police, which the Jharkhand police need in a wholesale fashion.
