If a civil servant really wants to change the system, he or she can start small, also. Because those small baby steps would go a long way in bringing about change. Like a ripple effect, a small touch can stir the waters of negligence and give a fresh lease of life to decaying things.
It is said, if you want to change the world, start with your home. This is exactly what a young IPS officer did! He started off by changing the environment in his department. Realising that only a satisfied police force can serve the public to their satisfaction, he first focussed on creating a pleasing and comfortable environment around them. In less than a year, he managed to make the police department in his district a happy place to work in, just like big corporates do.
He is 2016-batch IPS officer of UP cadre, Mr. Amit Kumar Anand, who introduced a slew of welfare measures in the police line of Siddharthnagar district in Uttar Pradesh. He has recently been moved out of that district and posted in Kannauj as SP, but he has left his mark behind in Siddharthnagar. Speaking to Indian Masterminds, Mr. Anand detailed the changes he was able to make for police personnel, as SP of Siddharthnagar.
WELFARE MEASURES IN POLICE LINE
Mr. Anand was in Siddharthnagar for only 13 months, but when he left to join his new posting in Kannauj, he ensured he left behind a happy police force. It says pictures speak a thousand words, and so, we will let pictures speak more than words.
“As a police chief, one of my responsibilities is to look at the welfare of force. If they are well taken care of, they would provide better services to citizens,” said Mr. Anand.
And so he started off on his first posting as SP with a slew of welfare measures in the police line of Siddharthnagar. He started work on four projects simultaneously – library, training centre, police canteen, and gym. “Except gym, all others are running. Gym work is also complete. But, before I could inaugurate it, I got posted to Kannauj,” he said.
The training centre gives in-job training to police personnel as police work is dynamic and laws get amended. It trains police personnel to do better investigations, with special focus on crime against women, cyber crime, POCSO Act, etc. “Better training would lead to improved investigations ultimately benefiting complainants and ordinary citizens,” he explained.
He also started a 24/7 well-equipped library with the right ambiance for reading. The ambiance gives the feel of a reading cafe. Mr. Anand said, “Library would help in equipping police persons with better knowledge. If they get selected for a better position by studying at our library, it would ultimately benefit the nation as human resource, as now they would be at a better place to provide their services as per their capabilities.”
The library is opened to all Siddharthnagar students, too. Many students use this facility to prepare for competitive exams.
He also renovated a guest house for constable to inspector rank police personnel in police line, giving it a fresh new look and equipped it with all modern amenities.
FOR FAMILIES OF POLICE PERSONNEL
Similarly, to help the families of police personnel, the existing police canteen was renovated to turn it into a supermarket. Mr. Anand said, “It was running in an old building. We got it renovated and now more items and in more quantity are available to police personnel. The idea was to turn it into a modern super store that you would find in big cities.”
He also carried out extensive renovations in the dilapidated flats in police line, which were badly in need of repairs, so that families could live in proper accommodation and look forward to returning home after work, and also to invite guests over.
In all this, he did not forget the children and build a park and a cricket ground for them to play. “I love kids. So the very first work I did was renovation of a children park. It was in dilapidated state with grass over growing. Nobody was using it. Now it is filled with happy kids in the evening. After this, I built a cricket ground. I also play cricket, so, it made me happy to see the youth playing there,” he said.
OTHER PIONEERING INITIATIVES
The officer also established an e-office, the first in UP at the district level. It was based on the Central Secretariat Manual of E-office Procedure. Besides promoting less use of paper, it also brought transparency and accountability.
He also cleared all case property vehicles from police stations, under ‘Operation Clean’. A total of 870 vehicles were cleared, 715 case property and 55 unclaimed vehicles were auctioned off, and 100 vehicles were returned to owners after notice. Not only valuable police station land was freed, but also 1.09 crore revenue was earned.
ALIGNED FUNDS FOR PROJECT
But, where did the funds come from? Mr. Anand replied, “Government funds. Each year we get money to repair and maintain buildings, buy furniture, stationery, etc., and for training. I aligned these funds to get specific works done.”
All these works were completed in less than a year proving that when an officer wants to get things done, time or money is not a constraint. What one needs amply is the wish and the will to make the world a better place for people to live in. That’s the biggest legacy one can leave behind.
