Shillong, Feb. 26: Meghalaya director-general of police Rajiv Mehta today said his force would go by the policy decision of the government while maintaining the use of "stick" policy in its efforts to neutralise the militants.
"We will go by the policy decision of the government and it also depends on the role the government identifies for us," Mehta, who took charge as the new Meghalaya DGP, told reporters here.
Mehta, the 1981 Assam-Meghalaya IPS cadre, took over charge from additional director-general of police S.K. Jain who had been at the helm after P.J.P. Hanaman retired from the post in December last year.
Prior to taking over as Meghalaya DGP, Mehta was on central deputation as director-general of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Delhi.
Asked if the carrot-and-stick policy of the state government is a stumbling block for the state police in their fight against militancy, the new Meghalaya police chief said the state police have to apply both - stick and carrot.
"We are the stick and we will go by it. We also have to follow the government policy," Mehta said.
While security forces are going all out after the militants, the state government also engaged the militant outfits in a dialogue.
Besides the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), declared as a terrorist organisation by the Centre, the Garo hills is also witnessing disturbances caused by various splinter groups.
Mehta said he would tour the militant-infested Garo hills to assess the law and order situation from Monday.
On the failure of the security forces to break the backbone as they could not catch the top leaders of the militant outfits who managed to escape during counter-insurgency operations in the Garo hills, Mehta said the force would adopt all strategies and try its best to overcome the problem.
"This terrain is a big stumbling block for us in the Garo hills but we will try to do the best we can," he said.
Mehta, who has been serving in Meghalaya for the past few years, including his tenure as additional director-general of police (law and order), said he knew the problem in the state and stressed the need to work together to solve the problem.
He also said becoming more responsive, effective and service oriented were the three thrust areas in the force.
"What is more important is to work as one team where each and everyone is playing a a different role and the police headquarters is a facilitator. We need to work as a team and the focus is to help them and achieve the results," he asserted.
Mehta also underlined the need to have a road map for the force and identify the critical areas.
On some aberrations, including crimes involving police personnel, the new DGP said legal action should be taken against such aberrations.
The DGP also expressed concern over the rise in crimes against women and children and vowed to take up the issue on a priority basis. On the need to strengthen the investigation, he said he would also review the issue related to forensic laboratory.
He also promised to look into the issues related to welfare of the men and women in uniform, especially the lower rank.
Coal trade: Mehta today said allegations on police and people involved in coal business should be investigated.
"If a policeman is doing coal business, there should be an inquiry because you cannot do business ," Mehta told reporters here.
In the context of an unexplained death of a police officer, Pearlystone Joshua Marbaniang who had detained 32 coal trucks, the new DGP refused to comment.
