At a time when the Kerala police is facing flak for its some recent actions, the Institute of Management in Government (IMG) has come out with a handbook to improve the performances of the law enforcers.
DGP Jacob Thomas, the Director of the IMG, apex state-run training body, has sent a copy of the handbook to Kerala police chief Loknath Behera.
The 'Handbook on duties and responsibilities for civil servants at the cutting-edge level' is a ready reckoner of the duties and responsibilities of police officers from the level of civil police officer up to the level of Deputy Superintendent of Police, IMG sources said.
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The executive team of the institute prepared the handbook with a vision of realising "excellence in governance", they said.
Besides police, similar handbooks were prepared for the social justice and scheduled tribes development departments also, the sources said.
In a letter to Behera, Thomas, the senior most IPS officer in the state cadre, said duties and responsibilities, enlisted in the handbook may be communicated to all police stations, circle inspector offices, DySP offices and district offices for adoption and necessary action.
"The handbook can be made an integral part of the training module in the police training college (PTC) and the state police academy for initial and in-service training," the sources said.
Thomas, the former vigilance chief, also said the handbook may be made as an integral part of the performance management and appraisal system of the department for competency building.
The IMG has sent 750 copies of the handbook to be distributed to the police stations, CI offices, DySP offices, district police offices, police academy, police training college and other offices of the police department.
According to the handbook, one of the most significant duties of the personnel from the civil police officer to the DySPs is anti-corruption.
The book clearly listed and elaborated each and every duty of all officers according to their rank.
The handbook, aimed at improving the performance of police, assumes significance as the recent police action against people who were protesting against an LPG terminal coming up at Puthuvype near Kochi has sparked widespread protests across the state.
Not only the opposition parties but ruling front partners also condemned the police lathicharge against the local residents.
In the manner the police dealt with the agitation by the mother of Jishnu Pranoy, an engineering student who allegedly committed suicide due to the harassment of the college management, also had triggered criticism.
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