New Delhi: In a decisive push towards citizen-centric policing and grassroots governance, the Delhi government is set to reinstate the long-discontinued police station-level committees across the national capital. This revival, aligned with directives from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, marks a significant governance reform aimed at streamlining local issue resolution and enhancing coordination between the police and elected representatives.
Committees to Operate at Two Levels Across 15 Police Districts
Delhi is home to 15 police districts comprising 194 police stations, which are distributed across seven Lok Sabha constituencies. These districts fall under six broad ranges—Eastern, Southern, Central, Northern, New Delhi, and Western. Under the new arrangement, two tiers of oversight will operate concurrently.
At the district level, the Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) will chair the committee, while at the police station (Thana) level, the responsibility of leading the committee will lie with the area’s Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA). This dual-layered structure aims to enhance the pace and effectiveness of governance by fostering real-time engagement between law enforcement agencies and public representatives.
Home Department Issues Orders, Chief Secretary Reviews Implementation
The Delhi administration confirmed that a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Dharmendra was recently held, involving senior officials from Delhi Police, the Home Department, and other stakeholder departments. During the meeting, the Home Department informed the Chief Secretary that it had issued formal instructions for the formation of both district and police station-level committees.
The Chief Secretary has directed the Police and Home Department to implement the orders expeditiously and ensure that committees are set up across all districts and stations in a time-bound manner. This initiative is seen as a renewed effort to bring policing closer to the people and ensure better coordination between elected officials and the police force.
Reinstating a Discontinued Model for Responsive Policing
The Thana Committees, previously discontinued in 2020 during the tenure of the Aam Aadmi Party government, are now being brought back to restore and strengthen participatory governance mechanisms. Until now, only the district-level committees chaired by local MPs had remained operational.
With the reconstitution of police station-level committees, the government aims to promote peace, harmony, and prompt grievance redressal through structured dialogue at the grassroots. The move is expected to help resolve community-level issues more efficiently by facilitating communication between citizens, MLAs, and the police station authorities.
A Strategic Shift Towards Decentralized Policing
This structural shift not only reinforces the government’s intent to bring policing under greater civic oversight but also provides local representatives with formal mechanisms to flag issues and coordinate resolution at the police station level. The committees will serve as vital feedback loops and foster accountability in daily law enforcement operations.
Also Read: Delhi Police Stripped of Licensing Powers; Civic Bodies Take Charge, CM Rekha Gupta Welcomes Move
