Jamshedpur, Aug. 25: Gram Suraksha Samitis (GSS) in adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district will no longer just help the police curb Naxalite menace.

Instead, they will play the vital role of a village information network and update the men in uniform on criminal activities such as robberies and extortions.

The police will also involve them in solving community problems such as drinking water crisis, tubewell repair, drainage work in villages of the district.

Seraikela-Kharsawan superintendent of police Sheetal Oraon said: “There is a need to increase the ambit of the samitis and it will no longer be responsible for just supplying information to us about Naxalite activities.”

“At present, there are four such samitis operating under various police stations. We intend to form one in each of the 12 police stations operating in Seraikela-Kharsawan,” Oraon added.

The SP said that a blueprint had been prepared for setting up more Gram Suraksha Samitis.

On involving the samitis for community policing, sources said that the villagers continued to face several problems due to the lack of adequate information network. “The district authorities are not very well informed about the problems faced by people living in remote areas. The samiti members will now channelise the information about existing problems to the police. The latter will then route them to authorities of various district administrations,” a district official said.