State director-general of police (DGP) DK Pandey (right) inaugurates Thakurgaon thana, the 43rd police station of Ranchi district, in the presence of SSP Kuldeep Dwivedi and other officers on Monday.

Spread over around 2,000sqft at Thakurgaon, 25km northwest of the capital, the thana will cater to over 80,000 residents of six remote panchayats under three blocks - Thakurgaon, Gurgaon, Akhra and Hesalpiri in Burmu, Urguttu in Kanke and Banpidi in Ratu. These panchayats were earlier under Burmu and Ratu police stations areas, which are located 16km away from each other.

SP (rural) Raj Kumar Lakra said that a Thakurgaon thana was the need of the hour for effective policing.

The two nearest thanas from Thakurgaon were at Burmu, 7km away, and Ratu, 9km away, he explained.

"Thakurgaon is centrally located between Burmu and Ratu. If needed, Thakurgaon police can assist personnel of Burmu, Ratu, Mandar, Khelari, Keredari, Ramgarh and Pithoria," rural SP Lakra said.

Deputy superintendent of police of Khelari Pramod Kumar Chatterjee said at present 10 constables with two officers had been deputed at the new thana. "Gradually, Thakurgaon will be converted into a model police station," said the officer.

In his address, DGP Pandey asked villagers to help police improve law and order in the district. "Be one and one, 11, and make the district free of criminals, rebels and terrorists," he said.

The new police station has five 18-feet by 12-feet rooms, of which one will be used as the thana office. Of the remaining four, the OC will use one as his chamber and two as his residence and the constables will use one.

 

Text by Raj Kumar; Telegraph picture