CM Thackeray urges police to win trust of citizens

Chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray met director general of police Subodh Jaiswal, city commissioner of police Sanjay Barve, and other senior officers of Maharashtra

Chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray met director general of police Subodh Jaiswal, city commissioner of police Sanjay Barve, and other senior officers of Maharashtra Police on Tuesday. He said his government would do “whatever it takes” to empower the police department and urged officers to win the confidence of the public.

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At a meeting held at the state police headquarters in Colaba on Tuesday, Thackeray met with senior police officers of Maharashtra police. “CM said sometimes to get justice, citizens opt for violent ways and throng on the road and protest. Cases against citizens in such circumstances (other than serious cases) shall be withdrawn and the department must take some positive step in this direction,” said a statement from the CM’s office.

CM also asked officials to prepare a plan for how the Nirbhaya fund, which was not utilised by the previous administration, may be effectively used immediately. CM also said his government would look into important issues such as police housing, service periods and health concerns. “Our government wants to make the man in the khaki [uniform] stronger. Therefore, whatever it takes to empower the police department, our government will provide that,” said Thackeray at the meeting, which was broadcast live on the police’s internal video conferencing system and connected to special IGs from Pune, Thane, Aurangabad, Nagpur, Nashik and Navi Mumbai. “CM urged senior officials to present the police welfare projects, promising they would get priority,” said Milind Bharambhe, IG (law and order).