Bihar cops to be punished if seen using mobile phone on duty

If any Bihar policeman is now found using mobile during field duty, he will invite disciplinary action, the order said

Bihar Police personnel have been barred from using mobile phones while on duty and violators will be punished, said an order by state police chief Sanjiv Kumar Singhal (DGP). The motive is to ensure policing in the state stays focused and effective by eliminating a common distraction, the order added.

Most Bihar policemen were unhappy with the order banning use of mobiles during duty. HT Photo/Representative use.

The order says police personnel tend to use mobile phones even during VIP/VVIP visits, law & order situations, festivals, demonstrations, traffic jams etc, diverting their attention and leading to negligence. “At every nook and corner of the city, one can see these constables standing, playing or talking on their phones or (chatting) with each other. That seems to be their prime duty,” the order said.

If any Bihar policeman is now found using mobile during field duty, he will invite disciplinary action, the order said. Copies of the order have been sent to all the range IGs (inspector general of police), DIGs (deputy inspector general of police), district SSPs (senior superintendent of police), SPs (superintendent of police) and rail SPs.

Most Bihar police personnel are not happy with the order, however, they are refraining from making any statements in public, said a police officer, who didn’t wish to be named.

A senior police officer said that Bihar home department has been dealing with the twin challenges of shortage of personnel and reduced efficiency due to over usage of smartphones. He added that the problem was not limited to the police department but was also common among the staff in secretariat, collectorate, SDO’s (sub divisional officer) and CO’s (circle officer) offices, where the general public is made to wait for a long time while they play with their mobiles.

Common residents, who often have to cough up fines for talking on phone while driving, have welcomed the move. “We are fined for talking on cellphones while driving. We often find police personnel either playing games on their cellphones or listening to music. It is good that the same restriction has been imposed on them,” said a businessman, Prabhat Kumar Sinha.