Arunachal: SSC makes police agent of social changes

Itanagar, June 12: The State Security Commission (SSC) has been constituted in Arunachal Pradesh in compliance with the Supreme Court directive to envision the role of police as an active agent of social change and development.

In its first sitting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu here yesterday, the SSC discussed the draft of Strategic Policing Plan (SSP) for the Arunachal Pradesh Police (APP), official sources said here today.

In a power-point presentation, Inspector General of Police (IGP) A K Sinha highlighted the short and long term components of the SSP, including enforcement of law, management of law and order, maintaining order on streets, management of traffic, prevention and detection of crime, prosecution of offenders, counter-insurgency, internal security, VIP security, ensuring human, constitutional and civil rights to the citizens, ensuring safety and security of public life and properties, disaster management and emergency management as its mandate.

The SSC would also maintain the core value of the organisation, including justice and fair play, protect human rights and dignity, high moral and ethical conduct, sustain professional excellence, physical and mental fitness to accept challenges, promptness of action, prevent crime and disorder.

Mr Sinha said the SSP's goal was to ensure citizens' satisfaction, judicious and efficient resource management, capacity building of human capital to get optimum output, welfare of police personnel, reducing vices prevalent in lower ranks and strive towards excellence.

He added that the process must involve all stakeholders, including government and its related bodies, organisations, universities, colleges, educational institutions, NGOs, all associations including students', labourers', traders', panchayat, religious, police, partners like Army, para-military organisations, intelligence agencies, prison department, fire service and home guards, and the civil society, including gaon burahs.

Suggesting SWOT (analysis of strength and weakness of APP) as a tool for successful implementation of SSP, Mr Sinha said, ''With police headquarters at the centre, SSP carves an important role for constable to inspector with clarity of mission, mandate and values for effective implementation. The stakeholders as well as the media have to play a pivotal role in sensitising all sections of the society.'' ''The SSC has been formed with the mandate to lay down broad policy guidelines for APP, to ensure that police acts as per law, to make police service-oriented and evaluate its performance. The SSP has been mandated to transform APP into a truly professional organisation capable of fulfilling its core values,'' Arunachal Home Minister Jarbom Gamlin said adding that the SSC would submit an annual report to the state assembly.

The members gave valuable suggestions, including frequent reorientation training for the constables recruited from rural background to inform, educate and sensitise them to the fast changing needs.

The chief minister lauded the constitution of SSC and police establishment board to make APP people-friendly.

However, the chief minister advocated that the civil society must play an equal and important role in the process.

Besides Mr Gamlin, the vice-chairman of the commission and its members, Legislator Kameng Dolo, Chief Secretary Tabom Bam, Home Commissioner Otem Dai, IGPs Pratik Potom, Mamang Dai, Renu Mongrey, Lod Koj and Tsering Lumden attended the meeting, sources added.

UNI