PM bats for SMART policing

Guwahati, Nov 30: Advocating the concept of 'SMART' policing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said a country which has an efficient intelligence network does not need any arms and ammunition to run the government.

Focusing on the police force and intelligence agencies, the Prime Minister said he wanted a force which takes care of the country's law and order in an efficient manner.

"By 'SMART' policing, I mean S for strict but sensitive, M for modern and mobile, A for alert and accountable, R for reliable and responsive and T for techno-savvy and trained", Modi said while addressing the DGP's conference here.

The police force should inculcate these values to ensure best policing which will go a long way in improving its image and work culture, he said.

The Prime Minister also highlighted the need to honour 33,000 police personnel martyred in the country after Independence as "this was not a small number and their sacrifice should not go waste".

The Prime Minister said the country can be run through an efficient intelligence network without much dependence on arms.

"The country which has high class intelligence network does not need any arms and ammunition. So, it is very important to have a very high class intelligence network," he said.

Modi said through a lot of good things were happening in the nation, positive stories should be published properly so that people are aware about it.

The Prime Minister said police welfare is another issue which need to be given importance.

"An officer may be very good but it is important that his/her family is (kept) well," he said.

The Prime Minister said a task force of senior police officials should be set up to workout a protocol and incorporate certain measures to ensure that the "legacy of the sacrifice of martyrs are honoured and respect for them is established in society".

A protocol to ensure that the force takes full responsibility of conducting their last rites with full honour as "they had died on duty for the safety and security of the common man".

Besides, each state has a police academy where new recruits are trained and it should be made mandatory to include in their syllabus an account of the life of policemen killed on duty, Modi said.

"There should be a new official government book where the new generation of police will study about these martyrs--their lives and sacrifice and every year a new updated edition should be brought out," he said.

He said an e-book should be brought out in every state on these martyrs in the local language as well as the national language and "this may seem to be a small gesture but will be a big inspiration".

A policeman's life is full of tension as their life is always at stake and unless "we ensure that there is peace and stability in their family, they cannot give their full to society".

"It is the responsibility of the government to set up a systematic system to ensure certain welfare schemes to ease their lives like medical checkup, education of their children and their housing, particularly for those at the lower level," he said.

"Our priority should be to provide welfare schemes in a scientific manner," he added.

The Prime Minister said Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who "was a successful Chief Minister of India's largest state, and he himself as Gujarat Chief Minister had kept the home portfolio and are so fully aware of the situation at the grass root and how to tackle these issues".

On the decision to hold such conferences outside the national capital, the Prime Minister said everyone was wondering why a tradition of all these years was broken and this meeting was held in Guwahati.

"In Delhi, everyone comes with their own work. Here your total focus is on the conference. Most importantly, people get encouragement. Local police would be very encouraged and I am sure you have realised this fact. In future too, such conference would be held in other states," he said.

Modi said it was important that the policing system should have life, it should not be robotic.