news details |
|
|
| Sadhotra decries mentorship in policing, cautions against diluting command structure | | |  Early Times Report
JAMMU, June 11: National Conference Additional General Secretary and Former Minister Mr Ajay Kumar Sadhotra today expressed concern over the recent order nominating senior police officers from the rank of DIGs to SPs as Mentors for every Police Station across Jammu and Kashmir, saying that the mechanism adopted could have consequences on the morale of field officers and the established chain of command within the Police Department. In a statement, Sadhotra said that the success of any disciplined force rests on a clear command structure, well-defined responsibilities and accountability at every level. He said that assigning 257 senior officers as mentors to 257 police stations may create an avoidable layer of oversight, which could be perceived as a lack of confidence in the capabilities of officers already entrusted with operational responsibilities on the ground.
Sadhotra said that Station House Officers, Sub-Divisional Police Officers and district-level officers have been working under challenging circumstances over decades and are accountable for maintaining law and order, crime control and public confidence. Any arrangement that appears to place them under parallel supervision runs the risk of affecting their initiative, decision-making ability and professional confidence.
Sadhotra said that the order itself advises the nominated officers not to interfere in the routine functioning of police stations. However, he said, the distinction between mentorship and supervision may not always remain clear in practice, potentially leading to confusion regarding authority and accountability.
He said that reforms aimed at enhancing policing should focus on capacity building, modernisation, technological support and strengthening existing institutional mechanisms rather than creating structures that may be interpreted as bypassing or undermining officers who are already discharging statutory responsibilities.
Sadhotra cautioned that any measure that weakens the authority of officers in the field or diminishes the role of senior district-level functionaries could adversely affect the efficiency and cohesion of the force. He said that police personnel perform their duties under immense pressure and deserve institutional trust, encouragement and empowerment.
The Former Minister sought review in the operational implications of the order in consultation with the popular representatives government and professionals so that the objective of better policing is achieved without affecting morale, creating ambiguity in command or compromising the authority and responsibility of officers working at different levels of the organisation.
Sadhotra sought immediate intervention of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for initiating course correction by rolling back the illogical mechanism and ending the confusion. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
