The Bhandara police in Maharashtra have started a Model Village scheme, wherein each police station is adopting one village. They are providing youngsters with resources to improve their educational quality besides trying to eradicate social evils like drinking, gambling etc.
The idea of a model village was ingrained in the mind of Bhandara SP, Lohit Matani while he was preparing for the IIT JEE examination. He realised that people from rural and poor backgrounds do not get the right exposure to qualify for the national competitive exams like IIT, AIIMS and UPSC.
“As my father used to get transferred cross-country, I saw the lack of exposure in rural areas. Thus, I wanted the youngsters living in villages to get some exposure. Moreover, such a connection with people in villages helps in eliminating social evils which lead to crimes,” Mr. Matani shared in an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds.
INVOLVING PUBLIC
By registering crimes and providing counselling, the officer hopes to combat the traditional ills that exist in the villages. He is actively prosecuting those who engage in illicit activity while also working to foster an atmosphere that will inspire people to make positive changes in their lives.
To involve the public, he has created three committees in a village namely-
- A senior citizen committee for addressing the issues of senior citizens like domestic, land and health issues
- A Women’s committee for addressing the issues of women like the presence of Liquor and gambling in the village, sexual harassment by males, domestic violence, skill development and self-employment and,
- A Youth committee for involving them in competitive education and sports so that they get better employment.
MOTIVATING YOUNGSTERS
Several sports grounds have been built where youngsters can prepare for army and police recruitment and also for promoting sports in the village and even at higher levels.
“We are focusing on different types of fields in different villages, depending on the preferences of local youth, such as wrestling in some areas, kabaddi in others, football in others, and so on,” he shared.
VILLAGE FOUNDATION COURSE
Mr. Matani has also started ‘Village foundation courses’ where school students can begin fundamental preparation for advanced exams like IIT and Medical entrance. He will assign a skilled teacher to the village to prepare students in grades 6-10 for NTSE, Olympiad, Aryabhatta, and other competitive exams so they won’t have any difficulties getting ready for IIT and medical school.
“We have opened libraries, study rooms, and skill development and provide regular guidance for competitive examinations. Moreover, we are also paying two undergraduates living in the village to teach the students under the continuous guidance of the visiting professor,” Mr. Matani shared with Indian Masterminds.
TARGET
The officer’s mission is to help individuals avoid ‘social evils’ and contribute to nation-building. He spoke with the local ladies about their safety and how to teach their male children to respect women and make their village a “women-friendly village.” The scheme’s goal is to improve the public’s perception of the police and to maintain seamless contact with the people.
