Bhubaneswar, Nov. 7: The Orissa government is planning to initiate a number of measures to make police more people-friendly.

More help desks will be opened in police stations across Orissa. Policemen will be given necessary training to be more friendly to people. A direction to this effect has recently been issued.

Taking a cue from the government’s “pro-people” approach, the police commissioner’s office has recently introduced the people-friendly policy. Police commissioner B.K. Sharma said: “We have already opened up a number of help desks in a few police stations in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. We plan to open up some more help desks in other police stations.”

“We want to create an environment where people will be free to walk to the police stations to lodge their complaint. No case of public harassment will be tolerated. We will also initiate steps to bring confidence of the people on the police in the Maoists-hit districts of the state,” said a senior government official.

The help desks will be managed by the police officers “having regards for human values”. Women police officers will also be appointed at the reception of the help desk.

Sharma said: “We will provide bench for the visitors to sit on. Fans will be installed and drinking water will also be provided to the visitors. Utmost care will be taken so that not a single case of harassment takes place. The complainants will be given pen and paper to lodge their complaints.”

Sharma also said: “We have already appointed a number of special police officers (SPOs) in different police stations in the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. We will continue to encourage appointment of the SPOs. The best SPOs are being given prize in the first week of every January by the chief minister.”

The city police appoint two sorts of SPOs in their endeavour to maintain peace in their respective localities. While some SPOs are appointed particularly during the observations of public events, others are appointed on a regular basis with a monthly remuneration starting from Rs 4,000.

Sharma said: “The SPOs will play a vital role during this year’s Bali yatra in Cuttack, which will begin from Thursday.”

The special police officers are mostly entrusted with the responsibilities to provide specific intelligence inputs to the police.