Encourage voluntary informers: L-G

Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi is pushing for a citizen-driven and pan-India model of intelligence gathering where the public alerts a toll-free line as a way of safeguarding internal security and countering rising inter-State crime.

Ms. Bedi has advocated a “credible, toll-free, and incentivised tech-driven system” which inspires the common man to give actionable information /intelligence”. Such a system would have the added advantage of ensuring confidentiality to encourage citizens to become “valuable stakeholders in management of internal security”, she said.

Shortly after addressing a seminar in Pune on “National Security-Opportunities and Challenges” hosted by the Centre for Advanced Strategic Studies and Shashwat group of hospitals, Ms. Bedi in a message said: “A proper (and) well thought through system with trusted people must run it. It shall provide abundance of information which remains suppressed”.Such a technology-driven and confidentiality-assured number and readily accessible tool was all the more necessary in view of the increase in inter-State crime was her view.

A technology-driven mechanism in place, she felt, was vital for crime prevention, especially when instances of criminals “taking refuge in neighbourhood States”.

1031 to be streamlined

The toll line in Puducherry (1031) will be streamlined. “People must use it. Am getting this further streamlined. And promoted,” Ms. Bedi said. Only the other day, the local BJP unit was ratcheting up criticism of the government for alleged law and order lapses and submitted to Ms. Bedi a representation (by BJP unit chief V. Saminathan and representatives of Mahila Morcha) to get the Home Ministry’s intervention into the recent political murders in Mahe, Kerala, which falls under the Union Territory.