Senior cops to be responsible for law and order: Mayawati

LUCKNOW: Chief minister Mayawati on Tuesday brought about some radical changes in the state police set-up and functioning by creating an additional director general (ADG) Law & Order - II and announcing that instead of cops at police station level, the senior officials would be held responsible for poor performance. The decisions came during her six-hour-long marathon meeting held on Monday with the top officials of the state home and police department convened to review the law and order and crime in the state. On creation of the new post of ADG LO II, Mayawati said that Uttar Pradesh happens to be the largest and the most populous state in the country and hence it was difficult for only one ADG LO to supervise the force on day-to-day basis. She not only announced creation of the new post but also declared the name of senior IPS AK Jain as the first incumbent to the new post. Jain was posted as Inspector general (IG) Lucknow range apart from heading the CM security unit. He was promoted to the post of ADG on Monday and decorated with the new post within the next 24 hours. Addressing the senior bureaucrats from the home and police department, Mayawati also announced changes in routine punishment process for poor performers. The CM pointed out that every time deterioration was noticed at the crime front, the general practice was to punish the police station staff for its failure to perform. "But from now on, in order to make the senior officials more accountable towards their duty, punishment will be awarded to the district police chief and his subsequent bosses instead of the police station staff," Mayawati is learnt to have said during the review meeting. At the top level, the principal secretary home along with the DGP and both the ADGs (Law & Order) would be held responsible for the crime situation in the state. In order to send the message down the line, the CM directed the senior police officials right from the principal secretary home and director general of police to the district police chief to be present for another review meeting at Lucknow on Wednesday. Cabinet secretary and additional cabinet secretary have also been directed to attend the meeting. Acknowledging the efforts of the state police in containing crime, Mayawati said any negligence at the law & order and crime front would not be tolerated at any cost. "The government is committed to the upliftment of the under-privileged, deprived and down trodden sections of the society. So all out efforts have to be made to ensure this agenda," Mayawati further said. With the CM talking tough, the police officials were now nervous about the Wednesday's review meeting where performance of the officials was expected to be assessed at the individual level.