Indian
Express: Jammu: Monday, 16 February 2015.
A piece of
information received by an RTI activist reveals that over a dozen police
stations and police posts across the state of Jammu and Kashmir are sans basic
amenities like toilets and drinking water.
“Shocking,
but true that often facing accusation of human rights violations at the hands
of civilians, the Jammu and Kashmir Police itself is victim of human rights
violation; it is at least true for the lower rank officers deputed in the
police stations and police posts,” said RTI activist Raman Sharma.
The
information provided by the Public Information Officer cum AIG Welfare of the
Jammu and Kashmir Police Headquarters in response to the application under
right to information act reveals that 48 police posts and 14 police stations in
the state are without any toilet facility.
“Similarly on
the question of drinking water facility provided by the department to the
officers and Jawans, the RTI reply also discloses that 49 posts and 23 police
stations are without any drinking water facility” he said.
He said, “On
the question of any plan under which these basic amenities would be provided to
the police stations, the PHQ while evading any direct reply or fixed time-line
stated that the facilities like drinking water, toilets, etc is the prime
priority of the department and the same is projected under annual action plans
in phased manner.”
“I just
wanted to highlight the plight of lower rung police staff and to show the
people under what circumstances they perform their duties” he said.
He said that
he has urged the Director General of Jammu and Kashmir police K Rajendra Kumar
to provide basic facilities to the police staff.
“Denying
basic amenities in police units amounts to human rights violation. It is
imperative that to have citizen-friendly police we extend these basic
facilities to them at the earliest” he said.
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