Nagaland Police faces shortage of vehicles

PHQ to withdraw vehicles attached to retired officers, informs Dy CM Patton

Our Correspondent
Kohima | May 5

Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Home & Border Affairs, Y Patton today informed that the Nagaland Police is facing shortage of vehicles for law and order duties.

“Therefore, the PHQ will undertake an exercise to withdraw vehicles attached to retired officers, especially those attached for more than 3 months after retirement,” Patton told a press conference here today at PHQ.

The Deputy Chief Minister requested the retired officers to co-operate towards this exercise in the interest of public services. Also stating that some vehicles which were condemned and allotted to various people have still not changed the registration numbers and are still using Police stickers, Patton requested that such vehicles should re-registered immediately “otherwise, they are liable to be confiscated whether they are using old number or are being run un-registered or on ‘Applied For’ status.”
 
Unauthorized absence from duty
Patton said that a number of Police personnel of all ranks are often found absent from duty without due permission or leave from duty and duty stations.

“These are acts of misconduct, dereliction of duty and indiscipline. It affects the command and control of the senior officers adversely, especially when senior officers are themselves absent from duty stations,” Patton said.

Their regular presence in the duty stations helps local economy in large ways besides- creating a sense of confidence in the minds of the people, he added.

“Therefore, it is essential and a must that officers and staff remain at their duty stations. DGP and PHQ should report un-reasonable absentees from duties so that appropriate actions are initiated against those erring police personnel,” he directed.

 Confinement to quarter guard
Patton further said that there was a practice of confining of erring and delinquent Police personnel to Unit Quarter Guards which was a method of punishment and dealing with indiscipline.

“However, confinement to Quarter Guard is an excessive punishment and inhumane. Therefore, the Nagaland Police has decided to do away with the old method of confinement of police personnel to quarter guard for disciplinary reasons.

Nevertheless, when any personnel is of imminent danger to his own life or others, he may be confined to quarter guards and in such case, immediate FIR shall be lodged at the nearest Police Station by the immediate Supervisory Officer or the Unit Commander,” he informed.
 
Almost 200 bodyguards withdrawn
As per his earlier direction, Patton said that the PHQ has been carrying out an exercise in reducing the deployment of bodyguards and Static Guards.

Although it is ongoing exercise, the department has so far withdrawn almost 200 bodyguards, he informed, adding that Static Guards are also being rationalized.

Meanwhile, stating that various exercises and initiatives are being undertaken by the Police Department in the interest and for the welfare of the people as a whole, Patton made a clarion call to all concerned to extend full co-operation “so that together we can make our state a better place to live in.”

Nagaland Police sets up Anti-Narcotics Task Force
Patton meanwhile informed that Nagaland Police has set up an Anti-Narcotics Task Force booth at the state level with state-wide jurisdiction and in the districts.

Patton also informed that he had also asked DGP to carry out screening of Police personnel having issue of substance abuse in the department so that suitable disciplinary and if deemed fit, criminal actions will be taken against them.
 
‘War on Drugs’
Patton informed that DGP Nagaland and Nagaland Police have launched a War on Drugs during the last four months.
During this period, systematic efforts have been undertaken to arrest criminals and disrupt the drug peddling and trafficking networks.

In furtherance of the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister’s Nasha Mukt Abhiyaan, the State Police has registered 101 Cases and arrested 143 number of criminals from various parts of the North-east, the deputy Chief Minister said.
The arrested persons include six number of police personnel also.

We have also issued preventive detention orders for seven persons under the PITSNDPS Act which allows the state government to put traffickers and peddlers under preventive detention. This has been done to disrupt the trafficking networks, Patton said.

Stating that deterrence and prevention of criminal Acts needs parallel attention from the law enforcing agency, he said Scientific aid to investigation is one crucial area of concern for conviction of drugs traffickers. We need to upgrade and update our FSL Unit and for which the Police department has to come up with tangible proposal and suggestions. Our Government under the leadership of the Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio is committed to extend all possible help in this major concern, he added.