(From top) Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar at the annual police reward distribution function, Participants in a tent-pegging match and IPS officer Natasha Gudia leads the parade at Gandhi Maidan in Patna. Pictures by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Jan. 15: Chief minister Nitish Kumar today stressed the need for community policing to win the confidence of law-abiding people and to contain crime in the state.

Speaking as the chief guest at the annual reward distribution function organised by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the Gandhi Maidan here, the chief minister said the police should work in a manner that people consider them to be their well-wishers and not their enemies.

Highlighting the role of police in maintaining communal harmony and peace in the society, Kumar said incidents of crime can be curbed only with the active support of the people.

“Criminals will not raise their heads once the people consider you as their friends,” he said.

“The need of the hour is to change the people’s perception about the police force and this can be achieved only through community policing,” he said, adding that the big task before the men-in-uniform is to accept the challenge of maintaining the same tempo that they have maintained in the past five years.

“The challenge before you is to maintain the same kind of devotion and dedication that you have shown so far,” he said, adding that the government is ready to provide all support to the force to meet the expectations of the masses. Kumar said the system of speedy trial, launched in 2006, should continue. “It was because of a large number of convictions of anti-socials that the people reposed their faith in the law-enforcing agency, which helped establish the rule of law in Bihar,” he added.

The chief minister said the government was committed to improving the working condition of policemen.

Infrastructural facilities are being provided to the police stations to enhance the efficiency of the force. “I assure you that money will never become a hurdle in the modernisation of the state police,” he asserted. Stressing the need of increasing the strength of the force, he said: “There is need to appoint 14,000-15,000 constables and 1,000 sub-inspectors every year to fill up the vacancies.”

The chief minister said more training institutes should be set up in Bihar to impart proper training to the new recruits.

“A police academy is being set up at the initiative of the government,” he said and added that the government has taken steps to set up women police stations in every district. Besides, initiatives have been taken to set up Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe police stations in all districts. “At present, there are only 10 SC/ST police stations in the state and there is a need to increase the number. Plans are afoot to start river policing to contain crime in river belts and diaras,” he said.

Welcoming the guests on the occasion, director-general of Police (DGP) Neel Mani said people’s cooperation in maintaining law and order has increased in the recent years.

“It is due to remarkable improvement in the law and order that the people are moving around fearlessly. The anti-socials, whosoever they may be, are being punished for violating the rule of the land,” he said.