Hurriedly set up NRI police station cries for basics
The NRI police station, set up here for immediate redressal of complaints of non-resident Indians (NRIs), has been crying for basic facilities even a fortnight after its inauguration.
The NRI police station, set up here for immediate redressal of complaints of non-resident Indians (NRIs), has been crying for basic facilities even a fortnight after its inauguration.
The police station was inaugurated on March 3, two days before the imposition of the model code of conduct, in a hurry, perhaps to woo the NRI voters of Sangrur and Barnala regions, but, during a visit to the police station, located in the police lines, it was found that the SHO’s room has bare minimum furniture, and a landline phone was found lying idle on the floor.
Three rooms have been allocated to the police station, but still the police officers do not have a complete office to start proper functioning.
As most of the complaints are supposed to be filed through the online complaint system, the police station urgently needed a computer, internet connection and other technical paraphernalia, but the police station does not have even the basic facilities.
Talking to the Hindustan Times, a police officer, who did want to be named, said, “The police station has been functional since the inauguration, but we got a computer only a day ago, and are still waiting for the printer as the company, which was told to provide the equipment, failed to supply the same.”
“But we have come to know that more funds will soon be released to provide more equipment for the police station,” he added.
Police station in-charge said, “We are in the process of getting a separate plot for the police station. Till we get it, we are managing this police station from this building in which we have been allotted three rooms.”
About the basic equipments, he said, “Though we got the computer on Monday (a holiday), soon we will have all the equipment required.”
However, Inspector General of Police, NRI affairs, Gurpreet Kaur Deo, said, “This is election time, and the equipment will be delivered in some time to the newly set up police stations as the local police are busy.”
However, she refused to answer the question if new police stations could be opened after the polls were over.