| For the residents of nearly 1,500 villages in Nagpur district, visiting a police station is now just a click away. The Nagpur rural police have introduced Lok Samwad (democratic dialogue with the people), an e-policing system that connects district police stations with the SP's office and with other senior officials, through bsnl's isdn lines, web cameras, high-speed scanners and network cards. Installed at a cost of Rs 5 lakh provided by ministers, MPs, MLAs and some corporates, Lok Samwad is the first such policing system in the country. Residents can now interact online with the superintendent of police (sp) through a webcam at a time determined by the local police station. Ground-level NGOs man the police stations to ensure that people are able to discuss their grievances with senior officials and even complain about inaction by the local policemen. "We are better connected to all the police stations now and can step in to ensure that action is taken fast," says Yashasvi Yadav, SP of Nagpur district. The system currently connects 12 out of the total 22 police stations in the district, but the results are showing already. The police recently cracked a kidnapping case within half an hour, a task which Yadav confesses could have taken days, if not weeks or months, had this system not been there. Another electronic system working in tandem with Lok Samwad is e-tapal, which facilitates cost-efficient transfer of documents, images and mails. "Policemen, who earlier doubled up as courier boys can now concentrate on core policing," says Yadav. Senior officers can now access any police station online to take stock of the lock-up status, seized property and general upkeep. Besides hastening police action, the system will have monetary benefits as well. According to a rough estimate by the Nagpur rural police, the project-once fully implemented-will reduce travelling expenditure for the residents by Rs 2 crore annually. The Police Department will save almost Rs 2.5 crore every year by cutting down on personal visits and hand delivery of documents. "This technology can ensure a visitor-free and paper-free police system in the future," says Yadav, hoping that the project will soon be implemented across the country. Index
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