PM says IPS probationers must create atmosphere for social change

New Delhi, Dec 12 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the country expected utmost integrity from its public services and expressed confidence that men and women involved would play a major role in over-all development of the nation.

Addressing the IPS probationers here, Dr Singh said the country was undergoing rapid transformation, so the removal of mass poverty through sustained social and economic growth was the prime concern of the polity.

He said over the years the administration of law and justice has experienced many tensions. There were problems created by terrorist and naxalite elements.

''These are of course tensions which have to be dealth with.

Law and order enforcement must never be lost sight of. But there are also social and economic dimensions of the underlying discontent which sometimes drives poeople to unconstitutional paths and therefore this also must not be lost sight of. And as police officers you have certain advantages in creating a right atmosphere for social change to take place,'' he said.

Emphasising the importance of law and order, he said, ''If there is no stable law and order enforcement, the elementary functions of any market economy cannot take place. And therefore, great importance attaches to how our internal security organisations function, the dedication, the commitment, their knowledge with which they tackle the task for law and order.'' He expressed his happiness over the increasing number of women joining the police services.

''We have to understand the problems of disadvantaged sections of our communities be they dalits, be they scheduled tribes, be they women because we cannot have peace and security if large segments of our population are untouched by processes of change,'' he said.

He urged the young probationers to imbibe in their career that ''life is one long process of learning and relearning'' and asked the officers to pay attention in their capacity as police officers to all aspects of development.

He also said criminals today are becoming more sophisticated, ''...We must understand that and our police forces must acquire an image that they are the friend, guide and philosopher for our citizens, that honest citizens can look upto any policeman on the beat as their friend.'' ''And as police officers you have certain advantages in creating a right atmosphere for social change to take place,'' he said.

UNI