Andhra Pradesh CM Naidu promises to clear pending bills worth Rs 763 cr of police dept

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said his government would clear pending bills worth Rs 763 crore of the police department and also promised to hire 6,100 constables.

The Chief Minister gave the assurance while speaking on the occasion of Police Commemoration Day at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium in Vijayawada. He also said, the police is the only force that strives hard 24 hours a day without taking any rest for the safety of the people.

“The previous government (YSRCP) has left bills of the police department worth over Rs 763 crore unpaid. Will take decisions in phases to cooperate with the police department and will clear all those bills,” said Naidu during his speech as part of the Police Commemoration Day.

Noting that investing in the police department is akin to investing in the state, the CM said he always gave importance to and cooperated with it.

According to Naidu, the state government has already cleared pending bills worth Rs 100 crore of the department within 125 days of coming to power.

Emphasising on the need for providing latest technologies to the police department, Naidu said policemen cannot fight criminals with old fashioned technological tools.

Showering praises on police forces, the chief minister promised an allocation of Rs 20 crores every year for the welfare of the police personnel.

‘Previous regime withheld police funds’

“Andhra Pradesh police is known as a brand and it has a history of suppressing factionalism, rowdyism and Naxalism in the State,” CM Chandrababu Naidu said.

Promising to further strengthen the police system, the chief minister said that Rs 100 crores has been released for the department in the past four months. What is regrettable is that the former chief minister who had spent Rs 12 crores for fencing his house would not release Rs 10 crores for fingerprint identification work, he said.

The total expenditure for survey stones was a whopping Rs 700 crores for the previous government. However, the former CM would not release a mere Rs 10 crores for installing CC cameras in the State, CM Chandrababu pointed out and said that bills worth Rs 763 crores were left pending by that regime.

The CM said that pending bills worth over Rs 100 crores have been cleared in the past few months besides other bills including one for Rs 97 crores. He said the Central share of Rs 61 crores was also cleared recently.

6,100 constable posts vacant

The chief minister announced that the 6,100 constable posts that are lying vacant will be filled soon and the police setup will also be provided with all kinds of technical facilities.

Paying tributes to police personnel who sacrificed their lives, the chief minister said that the police commemoration day is observed every year on October 21 in admiration of the services of the forces.

The Indian forces were ambushed by the Chinese forces in Ladakh on the Sino-Indian border on October 21, 1959, but Indian forces bravely fought the battle despite knowing well that they would lose their lives, CM Chandrababu said paying tributes to the personnel who sacrificed their lives in this battle.

Police's crucial role in safety and security

The chief minister felt that the police wing plays a very crucial role in the safety and security of society and their services are invaluable.

Pointing out that various reforms have been introduced in the police system after 2014, the chief minister said that vehicles along with other necessary infrastructure have been provided as per their requirement.

“Ever since I took charge as the CM, I have focussed mainly on the police setup and it is the basic responsibility of the government to provide necessary equipment to the police. Now modern technology will be provided to the police and the equipment too will be updated,” he added.

Regretting that the police system was misused by the previous government for political vengeance, the chief minister said that the police setup is a system that works beyond any kind of abhorrence and hatred.

The chief minister admitted that the police wing is facing several challenges now as the cybercrime rate is going up alarmingly and felt the need to update technology and check the unhealthy trend. “Only when we have the upper hand, we can control the criminals. What is more alarming is that certain forces are trying to destabilise the entire police system. I am assuring you all that the State Government will solidly stand by you to deal with such situations firmly,” CM Chandrababu said.

Chief Secretary, Neerab Kumar Prasad; the director general of police, Dwaraka Tirumala Rao; the inspector general of police (Intelligence), Ch Srikanth; and senior police officers along with other police personnel participated in the meeting.