Yogi govt to introduce Police Commissioner system to improve law & order in UP

In a move to improve Uttar Pradesh's law and order situation, the Yogi Adityanath-led state government has planned to introduce the Police Commissioner system in India's most populated and crime-prone state. Despite opposition from the IAS lobby, CM Adityanath has decided to introduce the Police Commissioner system, initially in the capital Lucknow and metro town Noida, sources in the government revealed to a news agency.

A possible solution to UP's deteriorating law and order

The Police Commissioner system gives free hand to the local police chief to act freely and swiftly, particularly in a law and order situation. In UP, the Superintendent of Police (district police chief), presently seeks permission from the District Magistrate(DM) in most of the decisions concerned with maintaining law and order. A report of the UP government revealed that one of the reasons for deteriorating law and condition in the metro cities is the absence of the Police Commissioner system.

Police Commissioner system effective in other states

Earlier, then UP Governor Ram Naik had suggested implementation of the Police Commissioner system to tackle challenges on crime and law and order front. However, the IAS lobby in the state had opposed the move and the proposal initiated from Director General of Police's (DGP) desk was shelved in the Chief Minister's Secretariat.

Sources said that of late, Adityanath, who also holds the home portfolio, was convinced that like other states including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi and Karnataka where the Police Commissioner system is seen as an efficient model of policing, UP should also have the same system for better and effective police.

READ | Yogi Adityanath slams Opposition for spreading rumours, ideates awareness campaign for CAA

READ | Uttar Pradesh: Allahabad HC issues notice to Yogi government over Anti-CAA violence

Anti-CAA protests in UP

Lately, the state's law and order situation have been criticized by the Opposition as various protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act turned violence resulting in the death of at least two dozen people. Lucknow, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Meerut and Sambhal were some of the areas that were worst-hit by the anti-CAA protests. 

Stone-pelting or more serious clashes with police were also reported from Bhadohi, Bahraich, Amroha, Farurukhabad, Ghaziabad, Varanasi, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Hapur, Hathras, Bulandshahr, Hamirpur, and Mahoba districts.

READ | BJP to raise pro-CAA pitch in Bihar; Shah, Yogi to address public meetings

READ | CAA: Yogi Adityanath visits a store to explain the act in Gorakhpur, MP Ravi Kishan proud

(With agency inputs)