Rohtas SP Manu Maharaj (left) inaugurates the Sone Mahotsav on Thursday. Picture by Sanjay Choudhary

Patna, June 23: Maintaining law and order and containing crime might be the prime responsibility of men in uniform. However, for a change, they assumed the role of hosts at the famous Sone Mahotsav organised by Rohtas police near Rohtas Fort on Thursday. The residents were the guests, while the policemen were seen serving the former.

Around 180 people hailing from over a dozen Maoist-hit villages under Nauhatta, Rohtas and Chutia police stations of the district were examined at the free health check-up camp by a team of doctors led by Dr Nirmala Singh apart from being provided medicines free of cost at the camp.

 

Moreover, 100 saris and an equal number of dhotis were distributed among the people, who had gathered at the festival, which has been organised as part of community policing. The police were surprised to see the participation of women and children in large numbers. The police officers also distributed transistors among the people belonging to the most backward sections of the society. These people hardly get an opportunity to mingle with the police and share their grievances.

Inaugurating the function, deputy inspector-general (DIG) of police of Shahabad range Sushil Khopde said: “Be it an IAS officer or an IPS officer, we all are citizens of the country first. The government has recently launched different people-friendly programmes across the country.”

Highlighting the purpose of organising the mahostav, Khopde said such programmes aimed at bridging the gap between the common masses and the security agencies. “The co-operation between the police and the public is required for all-round development,” he added. He said the Sone Mahotsav provided the police an opportunity to go closer to the people and understand their problems. He emphasised the need of organising more and more programmes in Naxalite-hit areas to win the people’s confidence.

Rohtas superintendent of police Manu Maharaj said: “I will try to continue with the tradition, which was started by my predecessor in 2008. People should consider the police to be their friends and not their enemies.”