Accelerate pace of police reforms: Rijiju

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju on Friday stressed on accelerating the pace of police reforms to face new challenges in future.

He also asked the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) to focus on setting up of national level police technology development and information centre in Delhi and Bengaluru.

At the inaugural session of the "Visionary Summit" under the Dr Anandswarup Gupta Memorial Lecture Series) organised by BPR&D, Rijiju called for the institutionalisation of an independent and effective police complaints authority.

The Minister said that BPR&D should set up National Police University National Police Technology Development Centre at IIT Delhi and the National Police Information Technology Centre in Bengaluru, underlining training as an integral part of police modernisation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also called for reorientation of the police forces to face the new challenges, he said.

The Minister also called for tangible results ahead of the All-India Conference of Directors General and Inspectors General of Police to be held at the Border Security Force training academy at Tekanpur near Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh soon.

Pointing out that there is no room for complacency, Rijiju said some sections have voiced concern over the erratic funding under the modernisation of police force programme since its devolution to the states.

In his address, Director General, BPR&D, A.P. Maheshwari said there is a need for social audit of how the police responds to different situations. "The BPR&D feels the police should be more 'people oriented'," he said.

--IANS

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