Police reforms to ensure timely, transparent disposal of complaints

The Punjab Police has initiated a move to streamline the complaint redressal system, make it more transparent so that accountability could be fixed on erring officers. From now on, a complainant will have to get his complaint registered with the Saanjh Kendra or police outreach centres.

"The complaint will be then sent to the concerned police station. The complaint will be marked with an identification number so that one can know its status. This is being done to ensure that the service is delivered in a time bound manner and the officers held accountable,'' said Additional Director General of Police (Community Policing), SK Sharma.

As per the sources, instructions were recently issued to the district police chiefs that no police official should directly accept a complaint in the police station. In case he does so, he will be liable for departmental inquiry.

Sharma said an online complaint system will also be put in place soon. He said in the first phase of the reforms, emphasis is delivering the services in time bound manner. Twenty police services are covered under the Right to Services Act.

In the second phase, emphasis will be lain on on community involvement in policing, particularly in areas like matrimonial disputes, grievances and economic affairs.

However, sources said that the police officers are not taking interest in Saanjh Kendras despite repeated reminders from the police headquarters. During a recent survey it came to fore that most people do not know even know about Saanjh Kendras.

In the last one year, these kendras received a total of 13.05 lakh applications of which 12.74 lakh services were delivered within time frame, 3,765 disposed after time frame and in 34 cases the service was denied.

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