Lucknow, Noida to get Police Commissioner system

Another senior official said the CM took the decision keeping in view the disturbance in law and order situation, leading to large-scale violence in several districts, including Lucknow, during recent protests against the new citizenship law. Inquiry reports into these incidents mentioned “lapses in coordination” between the administration and the police over enforcement of CrPC 144, sources said.

Also, instances of “ego clash” between the district SP and DM over their powers have been a cause for concern for the government for several years. After the BJP government came to power, an order issued from the state home department in 2018 had triggered a major controversy and escalated the differences between IAS and IPS officers. As per the order, the district SPs were directed to seek approval from the DMs before posting and transfer of station house officers/station officers.

Former UP DGP Sulkhan Singh, a 1980-batch IPS officer, said, “UP, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar are the only states where police commissioner system has not been introduced so far. The absence of this system causes a big obstacle in maintaining law and order as police do not have powers of the executive magistrate.”

If the police commissioner system is introduced in the state, Singh said it may lead to a major drop in instances of crime and make policing more effective and focussed.