DGP instructs strengthening of 'mohalla' committees

Aurangabad, Maharashtra, July 27 (UNI) Stressing on the need to strengthen police-public relations, Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) P S Pasricha today informed that senior police officers have been asked to strengthen the ''Mohalla (locality)'' committees to resolve petty differences at the police station level itself.

Dr Pasricha was speaking to reporters after a meeting with senior police officers from Aurangabad police commissionerate and Aurangabad range.

Dr Pasricha said he has directed the police officers to form committees under each police station, with at least ten prominent persons as its members. ''I have asked them to chose members with care. The members should command respect among the people and should have clean record.'' He said that 45,000 villages in state would have village protection committees from August 15 onwards, under the ''trouble-free village scheme''. The policemen would sort out petty disputes and differences among the people to avoid further trouble.

Such petty things often led to major trouble, he pointed out.

The DGP said the police department is concentrating on computerising all police stations. Smaller police station would have at least three computers and the bigger ones would be equipped with up to eight computers, he said.

Claiming that the law and order situation in the state was normal and peaceful, he said the forthcoming Ganesh Festival and Ramzan Idd would celebrated peacefully. ''There is nothing to worry about,'' he assured.

UNI