Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has announced that Bengaluru city would get five police commissionerates, one for each of the five municipal corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority.
During his Independence Day speech, Shivakumar also said that the government was planning to establish a separate anti-rowdy squad to curb organised crime and ensure a fear-free environment across the city.
Stating that the police overhaul forms part of a broader governance strategy, which includes enhanced coordination between the GBA and the traffic police, Shivakumar said that his government would provide all the necessary resources for this endeavour.
Though the proposal had been in the air since the government formed the GBA comprising five municipal corporations, it had evoked mixed reactions. In the first place, there was rumbling within the ranks and files of the police force itself, while others were sceptical about the resources needed to create an additional four commissionerates, which would require at least ₹75,000 crore.
Senior police officers, especially IPS officers, are unhappy about the creation of five commissionerates, saying that it was a move by the IAS lobby to curb the power of the IPS cadre. The commissioners of each commissionerate would report to the GBA commissioner, along with the heads of the Traffic Department. The administration would virtually be carried out by GBA commissioners and not police personnel, they argue.
Besides, during major events like New Year celebrations, there would be a lot of jurisdictional issues. Instead of dividing the commissionerate into five parts, it would be better if the government increased the number of police stations to meet the requirements of Bengaluru's growing population.
Even the opposition BJP is sceptical about dividing the commissionerate into five. Opposition leader R Ashok said that the government would require at least ₹75,000 crore for this purpose and that the government was struggling to fund its guarantee schemes. At the moment, police stations are cash-strapped, and it would be better if the government extended additional resources at the sub-divisional level, he added.
