Bhubaneswar: Realizing the increasing importance of Social Media in reporting incidents of crime on real time basis, Odisha Police has now decided to make use of the digital platform for prompt redressal of grievances.
Director General of Police K.B. Singh on Tuesday directed all Superintendents of Police, Range IGs and DIGs to open Twitter and Facebook accounts for their respective range and districts.
The senior police officials have been instructed to set up these accounts using their Closed User Group (CUG) phone numbers, official email ID of district and range.
All the Twitter handles and Facebook accounts of all the police districts and range offices will be linked with the Twitter and Facebook account of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
A senior official requesting anonymity said that a lot of complaints relating to police are presently being lodged in the official Twitter and Facebook account of the Chief Minister which needs to be promptly addressed.
“The district superintendents of police have been directed to regularly follow up the Twitter and Facebook pages of the CM and State Police Headquarters and retweet the action taken on the complaints lodged in the official accounts,” said Singh.
At present, the Commissionerate police of Cuttack, Bhubaneswar is already having a Twitter account that was opened in 2013. The official handle of the twin city police is being followed by 1,200 people.
The platform is being extensively used by Commissionerate police to reach out to the public regarding the various enforcement activities, circulars and advisory issued at different times.
A few days back, a lady journalist had reported an incident of harassment by a co-passenger in moving bus on FB which then prompted Commissionerate police to register a case. DCP Cuttack is investigating the case.
Earlier, a man was also arrested last month for harassing a girl student traveling in Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express. The action came after the victim’s friends reported the matter to Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu through his official Twitter account.