Rajiv Mehta finally assumes charge
SHILLONG: “There cannot be any deadline to end insurgency in Meghalaya,” according to new State DGP Rajiv Mehta.
Addressing newsmen after assuming charge on Thursday, the DGP said, “There is no new strategy to deal with militancy , we will try our best as a team to address the problem”.
He said the biggest stumbling block to tackle militancy in Garo Hills is the terrain.
But, he hoped that with the team work, the police would be able to make progress in tackling insurgent groups.
To get fresh ideas and to identify the critical points, the DGP has convened a meeting of all the SPs in Shillong “I will listen to them to create a road map for the police in the days to come”, he said
Following the meeting with the SPs, the DGP will tour Garo Hills for two days from Monday to understand the ground reality and the operational aspects.
To a question, the DGP said that issue of mushrooming of militants will be addressed and they will be brought to While the Government adopts carrot and stick policy to tackle militancy, “we will continue to use stick to pressure the militants to surrender”, he said
The DGP refused to comment on the proposed peace talks with HNLC by saying that it is policy decision of the Government.
Advocating a new approach with the sub-ordinates, the DGP said that the police personnel irrespective of junior or senior will work as a team and talk to each other without any differences . “The police headquarter will act as a facilitator, while the personnel in the field perform their duties”, he said.
Asked whether he was following a democratic approach in the police force, the DGP, however, said that it would be a structured approach.
According to the DGP, effective, responsive and service oriented policing is the need of the hour and they are the three pillars of effective policing.
To questions on various aberrations within the police force, the state police chief said that frequent interactions among the police men would reduce this. He added that many welfare measures will be initiated to empower the policemen.
CRIME AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN: Mehta feels that the crime against women and children in Meghalaya is a social issue which needs to be addressed by the community compared to Delhi where unknown criminals are involved in the crime.
“Crime against women and children in Meghalaya is a serious social issue. It is a problem . When I was in part of ITBP during a short visit to the state after a few years , I was shocked to know the increase in the cases of crime against women and children in the state”, the DGP told reporters on Thursday.
Unlike Delhi where unknown criminals resort to crime against women and children, in Meghalaya, the crime is committed within and it should be considered more as a social issue, he said.
There is a need to have the involvement of the community to address the issue of crime against women and children. “We need to get support of seniors in the villages to contain the crime”, he added.