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by Ratnapura group correspondent

"Politicians will no longer be able to interfere with the work of the police and likewise, the Police will no longer have to dance to the whims and fancies of politicians", said the Interior Affairs Minister John Amaratunga at Ratnapura recently.

He said the Government will make this a reality when the Independent Police Commission is introduced.

Minister Amaratunga who at a conference of Senior Police officers from the Sabaragamuwa Province said, during the last seven years, the PA government was paying lip-service to the setting up of an Independent Police Commission, but always postponing implementation sine die. The UNF government would soon make it a reality despite the obstruction from the opposition. The delay was only on the appointment of the members to the commission, he said, as the retired judges of the Judiciary were unwilling to accept membership due to the powers of the courts over it. But now it had been resolved by him (Ministers) getting the approval of the Cabinet to place the commission beyond the jurisdiction of the courts.

The Minister said that he had taken steps in consultation with the Cabinet to provide all infrastructural needs of the police, including vehicular shortcomings and other buildings. He promised to allocate more vehicles to the Police out of the 400 jeeps arranged to be imported under a special loan facility from India.

"The opposition was trying to sabotage the peace process and the other economic and development programs of the government. It was the legitimate duty of the police to be vigilant and support the government in power, when it was 'going-straight' in the public interest and 'cut to the bone' any attempts of the 'trouble-shooters' to disrupt and upset the lawful-government", he said.

There was a mounting dissatisfactions among those in the Police service due to the discrimination in the field of promotions, which invariably went by favour. The Police Commission, once in operation would put an end to it, and base all promotions strictly on seniority and merit. The 'chit-system' which the politicians used to put 'their-men' 'in' would be a thing in the past and the Police Force will be made a more efficient one, he said.

He said he plans to have all police personnel trained in India, when the Police Commission commenced its operations. Under it all selectees would be chosen strictly according to a fool-proof scheme by the commission and not by the 'chit' of the politicians, he said. The Minister pointed out that the Police was the guardian of the people, and responsible for the maintenance of peace and security. As such they should always act in the interest of the people, treating them in an 'humane' manner, whenever they sought the police protection.

The Minister of Small Holdings Development Susantha Punchinilame expressed his confidence that the Police Commission would solve the problems of the Police service while at the same time, serving the public interest without fear or favour.

Ratnapura SSP Prasanna Nanayakkara said that he had 15 police stations and nine security points to administer with 60 to 65 vehicles of which only 25 serviceable and road-worthy entirely inadequate to handle the mounting crime-wave in the area. District MPs Mahinda Ratnatilake, A.A. Wijetunga and Ajith Kumara Meddegama also participated in the conference.

The DIG Sabaragamuwa Range, Lawrence Amerasena, SSP Prasanna Nanayakkara officials of the Ratnapura district were also present on the occasion.

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