Few honest police officers Left: Meera Borwankar

(08ABD_M)

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

"When I started my career as an IPS officer, only a handful of police officers took bribes. Today, it’s the opposite only a handful don’t," said retired DGP Dr Meera Borwankar-Chadha. "This decline is a shared failure of both politicians and the public," she asserted.

Dr. Borwankar received the Anant Bhalerao Memorial Award from retired Justice Sunil Deshmukh on Sunday at the Yashwantrao Chavan Auditorium, Marathwada Sahitya Parishad. The award, presented by the Anant Bhalerao Foundation, included a certificate, a memento, a shawl, fruits, and Rs 50,000. The event saw the presence of Dr Savita Panat, Mangesh Panat, Hemant Mirkhelkar, and Sanjeev Kulkarni.

In her lecture, "Police, Politicians; Challenges and Society," Dr. Borwankar emphasized the need for constitutional loyalty over political allegiance. She remarked that the Constitution holds more power than any CM, home minister, or guardian minister. She advocated for these values to be taught at police training centres, YASHADA, and colleges. Sharing her experience, Dr Borwankar recalled being denied an SP post initially because she was a woman. After demanding the post, she was assigned to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. She noted the shortage of police and judicial personnel in India, citing the international standard of 220 police officers per 100,000 citizens, compared to Maharashtra’s 160 and other states' 153. Similarly, there are only 20 judges per million people in Maharashtra instead of the required 50. She highlighted the 20% vacancy in police positions across states and called for systemic reforms. Justice Deshmukh also shared his insights. The event began with Sanjeev Kulkarni's introduction and was anchored by Nita Pansare. Dr. Borwankar announced that she would donate the Rs 50,000 prize to the Police Foundation and dedicated the award to Maharashtra Police.

(Photo included)