News Analysis
MANGALORE: The state cabinet on July 22 has decided to include even Mulki-
Moodbidri under the jurisdiction of Mangalore Police Commissionerate. This news did
not get the needed projection in the media. The reaction of the public to this decision is
also yet to be known.
Though the government has taken this decision in the interest of the public, here it has to
be mentioned that the home minister who hails from the district had not elicited public
opinion in this regard as if to prove that there was no need to seek anyone’s advice while
taking such decision.
Though there is justification to include Mulki in the Commissionerate limits as it is in
the process of being included in the MCC limits and is also close by Mangalore. But
one cannot find any reason that might have prompted the government to include even
Moodbidri which is 45 km away from Mangalore, under the Commissionerate limits.
It is not yet two months since the Police Commissionerate has begun functioning
independently. The Commissionerate is yet to be equipped with necessary amenities.
Much has to be done as far as appointment of personnel is concerned. There seems to be
more than what meets the eye behind the decision to include Mulki and Moodbidri under
the Mangalore Commissionerate limits. Had there been any genuine intention, then that
would have been made public by now.
It is a fact that the Mangalore Commissionerate Office has been opened without
adequate pre-planning. When Seemanth Kumar Singh took charge as Commissioner, he
neither had an indepdendent office, nor adequate staff.
He had to function at the SP office itself and it was a musical chair like situation between
him and the SP. There had also arisen a communication gap between the IGP and the SP.
The proposal to have a Commissionerate was first floated when MP Prakash was the
Home Minister. But the Commissionerate came into existence under the present BJP
rule, but was announced even before making adequate arrangements and was as good
as putting the horse before the cart. The Police Commissionerate Office is one standing
example that can prove what would happen if announcements are being made merely to
boost one’s image.
If the government can decide to include Mulki and Moodbidri within the
Commissionerate limits, one needs to know why Bantwal which is close by Mangalore
was not included. Slowly even the entire district could have been brought within the
Commissionerate limits. To put it in simple terms, the district would not have needed
two top police officers and the SP’s post would have been upgraded to that of the
Commissioner!
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