By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma said the State cannot invest in development without creating an enabling environment foremost among which is safety and security.
“Development programmes get derailed due to lack of security,” Dr Sangma said.
The Chief Minister was speaking at an interactive programme with various stakeholders on the project ‘Safe-Secure Shillong,’ initiated by the Home (Police) department here on Friday.
Expressing his gratitude to the critical mass of civil society members who attended the meeting, Dr Sangma said ‘this is a strong testimony of our resolve to achieve a shared objective of making Shillong safe and secure’.
He said similar initiatives would follow in other district headquarters.
A brain child of Dr Sangma, the initiative aims to install CCTV cameras at vantage points in the city.
“This involves use of technology which is expensive but indispensable,” Dr Sangma said adding that he had cleared the budget of Rs 5 crore for this project a day before the interactive meet on Friday.
Dr Sangma said the gap between civil society and police needs to be bridged in order to create synergy.
The Chief Minister mooted the idea of having a helpline number like ‘Dial 100’ to allow citizens to inform police about incidence of crime by using this helpline number.
“The message to potential criminals should be that they cannot get away with crime. Rape and molestation in a matrilineal society is unbearable,” the Chief Minister said.
“This helpline number is well known in various emergency services. I would like a similar system being used to help common citizens to inform of any criminal activities without having to go to the police station,” Dr Sangma said, adding that the main operation centre for this helpline number would be in the police headquarters.
“If they receive a call on this helpline number informing of any crime the police headquarter can direct the police unit nearest to the crime scene to take stock of the situation. This would largely help in immediately nabbing the criminals or potential miscreants,” Dr Sangma said.
The Chief Minister said that the State Government is committed to providing the police with the latest technologies to enable them to handle the law and order in the State in a more effective manner.
While stating that community policing is an important component, he said that the police on its own cannot handle the law and order situation without the support of the community.
The Chief Minister applauded the Meghalaya Police for organizing the event at very short notice, adding that this is indicative of the level of commitment of the police under the dynamic leadership of DGP N Ramachandran.
Urban Affairs Minister, Ampareen Lyngdoh, while addressing the audience said that her department will partner with the city police in its various endeavour.
Lyngdoh informed that the department is working closely with the police to speed up the project of street electrification in various parts of the city.
“We hope to complete the process of lighting up of various municipal and non-municipal areas by mid-December,” she said.
The Urban Affairs Minister also informed that the Department would soon install CCTVs in public transports which have been launched in the city.
“We are also tying up with the police on how to install these CCTVs,” Lyngdoh said.
She also informed that the GPS system would be put to use in various important locations of the city.
Meanwhile, Lyngdoh mooted the idea to the police of forming a team in various localities of the city to assist in various activities like manning of the traffic.
“This would be a good initiative in promoting the concept of community policing,” the Urban Affairs Minister said.
During the course of the event, DGP N Ramachandran called for greater participation of the citizenry of Shillong in helping the police force ensure safety and security in the city.
“Help us help you,” the police chief said. He also highlighted the various problems faced by the Police such as limited staff, funds and resources.
“The police alone cannot bring about peace in the city. We need the cooperation of the people of Shillong in this,” he said.
The DGP also requested businesspersons of the city to procure and install CCTV cameras in their respective business places while adding that with their consent, the police force will devise ways to connect these with the central police control room in a phased manner.
He also informed that the police force would provide help in training people to monitor video streams.
The DGP also informed that this central control room will be manned 24×7 by trained personnel who will monitor video footage streamed from CCTV cameras installed in strategic locations across the city with the goal of ensuring the safety and security of the residents of the city.
Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh, Chief Secretary WMS Pariat, Editor of The Shillong Times Patricia Mukhim and former IAS officer, columnist and social activist Toki Blah shared their thoughts at the meeting.