Patna, Oct. 8: It came as a shock for incumbent Bhagalpur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manoj Kumar when a resident of Shahkund block of the district alleged that gambling was going on unabated in the area in alleged connivance with the local police.
Manoj promised the person action and directed the station house officer (SHO) of the police station concerned to ensure that no such complaint reaches him again. Another resident complained about traffic congestion in the block headquarters town, causing inconvenience to the people. The SSP issued directives to the police officials to redress the grievance.
"Take the issue raised at the meeting with utmost care and ensure the orders are implemented in the shortest period," he said. The people had gathered at the Lok Samvad Ghoshthi (exchange idea with common people) organised on the premises of Makunpur Government Middle School in Bhagalpur on Saturday.
Lok Samvad Goshthi, a brainchild of Vikas Vaibhav, the deputy inspector-general of eastern range (read Bhagalpur), is being organised in the 175 police stations of the region on the first Saturday of every month. "It's a platform for the common people to seek on-the-spot redressal of their grievances," said Vaibhav, a 2003-batch IPS officer.
Over 50 Lok Samvad Goshthis have been organised in the nine districts falling under Bhagalpur and Munger divisions since June this year. The interactive session has helped the police bridge the gap between the cops and the public and bring people closer to the men-in-khakhi.
The programme has also sensitised policemen towards their responsibility and made them people-friendly.
"It was because of this interactive session that information related to some disgruntled elements' attempt to create law-and-order problem during Dussehra and Muharram in Bhagalpur and other neighbouring districts reached the police on time and preventive steps were taken accordingly," said Vaibhav, who assumed charge on May 2 this year.
Official records showed that more than 350 cases have been solved in the meetings in Bhagalpur, Naugachhia, Banka, Munger, Jamui, Sheikhpura, Lakhisarai, Begusarai and Khagaria districts since June this year.
"The cases were of various nature and were pending for long. Compromises were made between the complainants and the accused. Both the parties left the venue smiling," said a DSP-rank officer.
