In a move aimed at making policing more citizen-friendly, Gujarat Director General of Police (DGP) G.S. Malik has directed police officers across the state to dedicate two hours every day to hearing public grievances and ensuring their prompt resolution.
The initiative seeks to strengthen the grievance redressal system at the local level so that citizens do not have to travel to Gandhinagar, the DGP’s office or the state secretariat for the resolution of their complaints.
Under the directive, senior officers, including Police Commissioners, Joint, Additional, Deputy and Assistant Commissioners, Range IGs, DIGs and Superintendents of Police, will remain available in their offices from 12 noon to 2 pm daily to meet complainants, accept written applications and initiate necessary action.
Considering that Police Inspectors are often occupied with court work, investigations and other official duties during the morning hours, a separate time slot has been fixed for them. All Police Inspectors have been instructed to remain available at their respective police stations from 4 pm to 6 pm every day for public hearings.
The DGP has also prescribed timelines for disposing of complaints. Cases related to economic offences, family and matrimonial disputes, medical negligence and corruption must be resolved within six weeks. All other general applications are to be disposed of within a maximum period of 15 days.
To ensure accountability and transparency, police offices have been directed to maintain registers recording details of visitors and the grievances submitted by them. The order further states that an FIR must be registered immediately if a preliminary inquiry establishes the commission of a cognisable offence.
DGP Malik has instructed all police officers to strictly implement the directive and ensure that every complaint is examined impartially and in accordance with legal procedures.