Khaki care: Cops distribute welfare booklets to backward communities

Bengaluru: The city police normally create awareness about law and order, prevention of crime and safety issues. But in a unique and welfare initiative to build trust among people, the west division police have started bringing awareness about various schemes offered by state and central governments among backward class communities.

The police have printed booklets containing information about welfare schemes and opportunities listed under various government schemes. The booklets are distributed among backward class communities free of cost during community programmes organised by the police. Welcoming the initiative, the people said that the booklet helped them as they were not aware of many such schemes.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West division) Ravi D. Channannavar said, “We thought that creating awareness about various welfare programmes offered by state and central governments would help economically weaker sections and SC/STs. As many of these potential beneficiaries don’t know about such schemes, we decided to print booklets containing all the information, and distribute them for free. These schemes can improve the standard of living of these people. Unemployed youths can avail of loans, while women can start small businesses.”

He said that they have printed three more booklets on the functioning of the police department, the laws and contact details of police officials. “Another booklet contains contact details of ministers and officials of all the departments in central and state governments. We have also printed a booklet on Pocso Act and how people can report child abuse cases. We are doing it to strengthen our relationship with the people. It will get us a lot of goodwill from the community,” he said.

Another police officer said that they have printed around 5,000 booklets and started distributing them after the DCP got permission from City Police Commissioner T. Suneel Kumar. 

Commending the effort, Sunil Kumar, a resident of J.J. Nagar, said that he had completed his ITI course, and was looking for a job when he got hold of the booklet. It helped him get a loan to start his own tool manufacturing unit. “I was not aware that the government was giving loans to people from our community. Only after reading the booklet I realised that we are eligible for loans and I immediately applied. I got the loan approved, and now I am starting my own unit on a small scale,” he said.