BHUBANESWAR: Complainants need not wait for hours nor make multiple rounds of police stations to meet the station head in Puri town.
In compliance with the state government’s 5T (transparency, teamwork, technology, time-frame and transformation) initiative, the Puri police have set 20 minutes as the maximum waiting time for a complainant to meet the inspectors in-charge (IIC)s of police stations.
If the complainant fails to meet either the IIC or second officer of a police station within 20 minutes, his or her problem would automatically be flagged to the city deputy superintendent of police (DSP), who would take immediate measures to address the issue.
And if the complainant is made to wait for over 40 minutes in a police station, the superintendent of police (SP) would be alerted for immediate intervention.
“As per the 5T mandate, we are set to introduce a matrix escalation system in police stations in Puri town area.
Maximum waiting time of complainants for first meeting or interaction with the IICs of police stations will be 20 minutes.
If the waiting time goes beyond the prescribed limit, the city DSP and I will immediately intervene,” Puri SP Kanwar Vishal Singh said.
The system would be extended to other police stations across the district in phases.
Singh said he conducted a study for about one month in police stations to know about the response time of officers to meet complainants.
It was analysed that about 100-120 complainants visited police stations in Puri town daily.
Kumbharpada and Baselisahi police stations each saw nearly 25 complainants daily.
“In most cases we found that the concerned IICs promptly met the complainants and received their complaints.
However, a few instances were noticed where complainants had to wait for about 30 minutes as the IICs or other officers were on field duty or raids.
The matrix escalation system will benefit the complainants in the immediate absence of the IICs,” Singh added.
The reception desks in police stations have been asked to keep track of time and inform the city DSP and SP if complainants are unable to meet the IIC.
“We have also made public the phone numbers of the IICs, city DSP and SP on notice boards at police stations from where the complainants can dial these officers directly if their waiting time exceeds 20 or 40 minutes,” the SP said.
The matrix escalation system was recently introduced successfully in the police control room (PCR) response time in Puri.