Patna, Jan. 14: The performance of superintendents of police (SPs) would serve as the sole criterion to decide their field postings.

The state police headquarters has issued a directive to all deputy inspectors-general (DIGs), asking them to assess the performance of the SPs under their jurisdiction and submit their reports. The steps taken by the SPs concerned to contain crime during the past three months would be the basis of the assessment of their performance.

The decision came in the wake of a high-level review meeting chaired by chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on law and order situation last week. Manjhi had directed the senior police officers to initiate stern measures to contain crime. He had also directed the police top brass to review the law and order situation on a day-to-day basis.

Only four days after Manjhi’s stern warning, director-general of police P.K. Thakur reviewed the law and order situation with the inspectors-generals, deputy inspectors-general and the superintendents of police through videoconferencing on Monday. Thakur has reportedly asked the SPs to pull up their socks or face consequences.

“The field officers have directed to launch special campaigns to arrest people against whom warrants have been issued and confiscate the property of those evading arrest. They have also been told to speed up investigation in pending cases and senior officers have been directed to inspect the police stations on a regular basis,” said Thakur. He added that the police headquarters had initiated a slew of measures to contain crime in the state.

“The DIGs have been assigned to assess the performance of the SPs under their jurisdiction and send their reports to the police headquarters. This would be the criterion to assign field duty for them,” the DGP said, adding that any lapse on the part of the field officers would not be tolerated.

He revealed that the officers whose performance was found to be unsatisfactory would be removed from field duty. “Such officers would be given less important assignments,” Thakur added. The assessment report would also be sent to the state government for taking into account their field postings.

The performance of deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) was also under the scanner. Sources said the DIGs have been asked to initiate disciplinary action against the station house officers found to be lax in their duty. Moreover, the DIGs have been directed to hold weekly janata durbars to listen to people’s complaints.

The police headquarters has directed the DIGs to hold janata durbars after receiving numerous complaints against the SHOs showing reluctance in lodging cases. “There have been instances when the SHOs refused to entertain the complaints of poor people,” said a senior police officer.