POLICE! POLICE!

Proposal for new police stations gains dust

The population of Cooch Behar district is about 15-lakh but the number of police stations is eleven and the total number of police personnel is about 1500 only. The number of police stations and police personnel is not adequate enough to maintain the law and order situation of the district in these days.

The existing police stations are : Dinhata, Sitai, Cooch Behar Kotowali, Mathabhanga, Mekhliganj, Kuchlibari, Haldibari, Ghoksadanga, Sitalkuchi, Tufanganj and Baxirhat. There are three police outposts at Nayarhat in Dinhata, Nishiganj in Mathabhanga and Pundibari in Cooch Behar Sadar. Proposal for upgrading of these outposts to full-fledged police stations is gaining dust for a long.

As the number of policemen is less than required, it becomes necessary at the time of any emergent situation to bring additional forces from outer districts. Such situations are increasing day by day but the government is yet to approve more posts in this district.

Many areas that suffer from problems associated with political rivalries, threat from outlawed outfits and criminal activities are situated at a distance not less than 20-kilometre from the police stations of the concerned areas. In case of any incident the police arrive at the place of occurrence when the wrongdoers have left.

Talking with several persons from every walks of life The Statesman realised that police outposts are needed to be set up at different places in the sub-divisions like Dinhata, Mathabhanga, Mekhliganj, Tufanganj and Cooch Behar Sadar. The identified places are : Ranirhat, Jamaldaha, Ramthenga, New Changrabandha, Suktabari, Panisala, Burirhat, Sahebganj, Nazirhat, Gosanimari, Chandamari, Ambari-Kholta, Balabhut, Krishnapur, Balarampur, Diparpar, Natabari and Dhalpal. Launching of new police outposts may decrease the rate of criminal activities in these areas, local residents believe.

There is one SP, one ASP and five DSPs in Cooch Behar district. An SDPO posted at Mathabhanga looks after two sub-divisions – Mathabhanga and Mekhliganj.

Though the jurisdiction of Dinhata police station is about 600-square kilometre there is no SDPO to look after this area. The DSP (Crime) manages Dinhata and Sitai police stations from his office in Cooch Behar town.

The area under Cooch Behar Kotowali police station is about 700-square kilometre and this is the largest in the district. Bifurcation of this police station is the need of the time.

When asked about the possibility of improvement of the situation, the superintendent of police, Mr Devendra Prakash Singh admitted that a proposal to set up three police stations at Nayarhat in Dinhata, Nishiganj in Mathabhanga and Pundibari in Cooch Behar Sadar is awaiting for approval from higher authorities. After launching of the new police stations the situation may turn better, he hoped.