You could call it a hard reset for policing in the state. On Saturday, the board was dissolved and the message was clear: we will not put up with attacks on our police. At the same time, the administration is making sure there is a firm hand on the reins when it comes to things like curbing rackets and keeping a close eye on the riverine border with Bangladesh.
What changed and why
Adhikari’s BJP-led government didn’t mince words in scrapping the board. The charge was that it had become something of a ‘party’s frontal organisation’ where some have made an ‘illegal extension’ of their jobs for personal gain. “There are people who have personally benefited,” he said.
Immediate directives to police
“Attacks on police personnel would not be tolerated under any circumstances,” the chief minister put it. He sees this as a matter of getting back to institutional discipline. “Earlier, there was the law of the rulers; now there is the rule of the law.”
Key positions outlined by the chief minister:
– Attacks on police will face zero tolerance
– Illegal extensions via the Board alleged
– Women officers get home-district priority
– Public urged to lodge specific complaints
That means the police are to step up their game on the ‘riverine tracts’ of the international border, with extra eyes on the more exposed spots. It’s all to head off any infiltration while they put some order in the districts.
Curbing extortion and protecting drivers
Then there is the matter of 'illegal money‘ being siphoned off from auto and toto drivers. Adhikari has told them to put a stop to it right now. “If anyone is involved in extortion, report it,” he said, and the police will be looking into any complaints and act on them.
Focus on personnel welfare and deployment
On the other side of the coin, to make life a bit easier for the force, he has given the word that women in the service will be first in line for postings in their own district. It’s a way of mending work-life balance and is part of a wider look at how we deploy our people.
Administrative context and next steps
All of this came out of a review at Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas, with Adhikari in the chair and top officers from across the state on the line. You can see the coordination in the room.
In one sense, by doing away with the Board and calling out the extorters, the government is linking how you are treated to what happens on the ground. Now the question is whether the district units can turn these orders into something you can see in the streets.
