Plethora of problems await new Gurdaspur SSP

A plethora of problems awaits the new Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Aditya even as residents are elated that the state government has continued its policy of appointing IPS officers as district police chiefs in this border police district.

For the new officer, “problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines”. His theory is that the best way to escape from a problem is to solve it. And that is what city residents and villagers living in the vicinity of the international border (IB) expect as they are at their wit’s end trying to handle the twin scourges of drones and drugs. The new police chief joined today. He has replaced Harish Dayama, an IPS officer, who has been shifted as AIG, Intelligence.

Tasks to be dealt with

• To deal with ever-increasing phenomenon of drones being sent by Pakistan.
• With every drone made-in-Afghanistan pure-grade heroin lands in villages.
• Unemployment has increased manifold. Youngsters foray into the make-believe world of heroin smuggling.
• Focus on strengthening Village Defence Committees.

Aditya has remained as an SP in adjoining Pathankot. He possesses the much-needed knowledge and know-how to tackle things in the border areas. IB sources maintain that the three Lashkar-e-Taiba militants, who attacked the Dinanagar police station in June, 2015, had infiltrated from Bamial in Pathankot district. Likewise, six months later, four Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists crossed over from Bamial, kidnapped an SP rank officer, freed him and went on to attack the Air Force base.

The officer is aware of Pakistan’s reprehensible intentions. His first task will be to deal with the ever-increasing phenomenon of drones being sent by Pakistan and non-state actors. That the problem has assumed gigantic problems is evident from the fact that BSF reports at least four drones crossing into the Indian territory in a week. With every drone made-in-Afghanistan pure-grade heroin lands in villages.

Unemployment has increased manifold in this area. Youngsters have little or no job opportunities once they complete their education. This, in turn, acts as a catalyst in their foray into the make-believe world of heroin. Drones carrying payloads of heroin ensure the drug is never in short supply.

Opium and poppy husk are passé. It is the pure white powder which is destroying families’ lives and livelihoods big time. Police officers say a new device has been developed which can combat a drone. It has been placed somewhere in Amritsar district. Smugglers know this and hence have diverted their attention to Kalanaur and Dorangla areas of Gurdaspur district. The new SSP will have to work in tandem with security agencies to try to find an antidote to combat the flying-machines.

His focus will also be on strengthening Village Defence Committees (VDC). Officers agree that these VDCs are doing a superb job by providing timely inputs.

There is a school of thought that IPS officers should be given tenures that are at least three years at their place of posting. An officer will not be able to work freely if the sword of Damocles hangs over his head.

Insecurity kills ideas. Diffidence and uncertainty are the last things a police chief would want. A senior officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, lamented that the political class had developed an unhealthy knack of interfering in the department’s working.

“SHOs and lower-level constabulary are appointed by AAP leaders. They seldom report to the SSP. They can be found at the residences of these politicians every morning before they go to their offices. Under these circumstances, an SSP is reduced to a lame duck officer. And that is the last thing we want as we fight terror, terrorists, drones and drugs,” he said.