Source: The Sangai Express / S Singlianmang Guite
Lamka, October 04:
An inspection of the police station here by the Chief Judicial Magistrate along with the Bar Association and media personnel has exposed the pitiable extent in which it was functioning.
The inspection, though initially was intended to keep in touch with the law enforcing agency and assess details of cases it has taken up since 2006, the inspecting team was rather taken aback by its pitiable condition.
Despite an advance intimation of the planned inspection two hours before, the visiting team had to wait for a good 20 minutes in order to let the Officer-in-Charge or any of his sub-ordinate officer turn up to greet them.
It was only after a visibly dejected CJM, Rajnikanta Singh categorically said to the media team that it is 'unfortunate and embarrassing' and pledged to highlight the matter to the DGP for necessary action, that the OC and his sub-ordinate joined the team.
The team after a thorough inspection only realized the true fate of the law enforcing bastion on the famed second largest town.
'A place with inadequate staff, a makeshift kitchen attending over 30 police personnel, lodging facilities no better than slums, extremely worn-out staff quarters and half a dozen Maruti Gypsys most of them allocated to the officers are all that form the bastion.
The newly constructed building that housed a couple of lock-up cells and the administrative wing is the only structure that looks like one.
In fact, the newly posted SDPO, an IPS officer has disclosed that he had white washed the quarter he is occupying with money from his own pocket.
The magistrate with a remark that a police station here should be treated at par with its counterparts in Imphal said, 'a place like Churachandpur needs stronger man power' and promised to highlight the matter to the authorities concerned.
In all 225 cases had been registered with the police station in 2006 and 44 persons were arrested during that period while 74 arrests has been made from the 133 cases registered this year.
Meanwhile, to streamline flow of traffic in this ever expanding township with its growing number of vehicles, the police have for the first time initiated a traffic wing with 10 personnel.
Tasks of the novel wing is said to monitor the speed, parking and use of gas horns within the town area.