V.V. Bhaskar takes charge as DG & IGP

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, JULY 31. Mr. V. V. Bhaskar, former head of the Corps of Detectives, Police Training, Special Units and Economic Offenses wing, took charge as Director-General & Inspector- General of Police here on Tuesday.

At a formal ceremony at the conference hall of the State Police Headquarters, Mr. Bhaskar received the Director- General & Inspector-General of Police's baton from the outgoing Director- General & Inspector-General of Police, Dr. K. Sreenivasan. Top- ranking police officers were present.

Dr. Sreenivasan, who retired after a 37-year career, said: ``My only regret is that the forest brigand, Veerappan, is still at large.'' He called his successor ``an extraordinarily competent and compassionate officer'' and wished him the best. Addressing presspersons soon after taking charge, Mr. Bhaskar said he had ``a collective vision for the State's police force and a two- pronged strategy to `qualitatively improve' policing at all levels.'' The strategy would have an ``external component and an internal component.''

On the external front, Mr. Bhaskar said he intended to give priority to crime detection and prevention. ``I will not make any tall promises. However, the department under my leadership, will take a tough stand against law breakers and organised crime, without any highhandedness.'' On the internal front, effort would be made to make the force ``people-friendly'' at all levels of policing, he said.

A proactive approach would be made to encourage people to organise community policing and neighbourhood watches, he said. He also proposed to hold ``open houses'' with senior citizens, various interest groups, and the Press, separately, ``at least once a month,'' to obtain their feedback.

After the post of Director-General and Inspector- General of Police was created in 1981 - when the late G.V.Rao took charge as the first Director-General & Inspector-General of Police - Mr. Bhaskar is the 15th officer to assume this office. This is, however, the 16th time an officer is taking charge as Director- General & Inspector-General of Police as Mr. R. Ramalingam served two terms in that post.

Compared to his predecessors, Mr. Bhaskar will have a relatively long tenure of 14 months. ``I consider the period of tenure irrelevant as the process of improvement is a continuous one,'' he said. ``However, it is long enough for me to make a difference and short enough not to come in the way of other aspirants (to the post),'' he said.

Mr. Bhaskar is perceived as a ``thinking policeman.'' He was deputed for special training in the U. K. where he was attached to the Scotland Yard (London Metropolitan Police). He has done research work in the Department of Management Studies at Leeds University, U. K. on ``Community involvement in policing and neighbourhood watch Scheme.''

Mr. Bhaskar has also served as the Registrar of Bangalore University and presented papers at three international conferences of University Administrators at Hong Kong, Ontario, Canada and New Delhi, organised by the Association of Commonwealth Universities, London.

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Section  : Southern States
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