‘GOVT FOR FREE HAND TO COPS IN MAINTAINING LAW, ORDER’

A day after chief minister Yogi Adityanath said that crime was in its last leg in the state, the UP government on Monday announced that it has given a free hand to district officers to maintain law and order.

Addressing a joint press conference here, principal secretary, home, Arvind Kumar and DGP Sulkhan Singh said the SPs had been given freedom in posting of station house officers (SHOs) and deputy superintendents of police (DySPs) in their respective districts.

“Officers entrusted with the task of controlling crime will be appointed on merit,” he said. “Action will be taken against police officers concerned if there is any law and order problem in a district. The CM has already made it clear that it will not tolerate vigilantism by any political outfit or organisation,” Kumar said.

He said the transfer of police officers from ADG to ASP rank had been completed. “The DGP has been entrusted with the task of inter-district or inter-zonal transfers of DySPs and inspectors. Transfer will be carried out in a phase manner,” he added.

Expressing concern over the killing of a Samajwadi Party leader in Ballia and a property dealer’s murder in Aligarh, the officials said the district police had been directed to nab the killers.

“The state government has also decided to improve the quality of investigation and prosecution to increase conviction rate. If criminals are kept behind the bar, crime rate will naturally come down,” Kumar said and added further the government would conduct test for recruitment of police constables.