Gujarat Police Introduces ‘Janata Darbar’ System Across Districts to Address Public Grievances

Ahmedabad, Gujarat: In a major administrative reform, the Gujarat government has introduced a new system under which senior police officers will personally hear public complaints across districts. Following the intervention of Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi, the state Home Department has designated around 20 officers as “Police In-Charge Officers” for different districts. These officers will visit assigned districts twice a month, hold sessions at police stations, and submit detailed reports to the DGP and Home Department.

Third-Eye Oversight Between IG and SP
The move comes in the wake of the BJP’s five MLAs’ “letter controversy,” highlighting perceived lapses in local policing. The Home Department has now positioned these senior officers as a “third eye” between the IG and SP of each district. Officers, mostly at the DIG rank along with a few ADGPs and IGs, will announce their visits in advance and rotate across different police stations to ensure maximum coverage. After each visit, they are required to submit comprehensive reports on ground realities to the DGP and Home Department.

Harsh Sanghvi’s Key Role
Sources reveal that after taking charge as In-Charge DGP, 1992-batch IPS Dr. K.L.N. Rao held a crucial meeting with Deputy CM Harsh Sanghvi, which led to several major decisions. The reform was partly prompted by complaints from Vadodara BJP MLAs that officers were not sufficiently attentive to public grievances. Harsh Sanghvi had also highlighted these concerns during the state-level crime conference, prompting the Home Department to take action. This system is being implemented for the first time in Gujarat.

District-Wise Officer Allocation
Senior IPS officers have been assigned to districts across the state, including:

• Ahmedabad Range: Deepak Meghani (Ahmedabad Rural, DIG), Sujata Majumdar (Anand, DIG), Nirlipt Rai (Kheda-Nadiad, DIG)
• Gandhinagar Range: Khursheed Ahmed (Gandhinagar, ADGP), Parikshita Rathod (Mehsana, IG), Gagandeep Gambhir (Sabarkantha, DIG)
• Vadodara Range: Nirlipt Rai (Vadodara Rural, DIG), Saroj Kumari (Chhota Udepur, DIG), R.V. Chudasama (Bharuch, DIG), Sudha Pandey (Narmada, DIG)

(Additional ranges and officers have been similarly assigned across Godhra, Surat, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, and Border Ranges.)

Objective and Expected Impact
The move aims to ensure accurate reporting from districts, preventing misrepresentation by SPs to the IG. Officers will act as the “third eye” of the DGP, monitoring police performance and ensuring accountability. Monthly visits are expected to improve station-level functioning, put pressure on PIs and PSIs, and allow the Home Department to take corrective action where necessary. Deputy CM Harsh Sanghvi and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel have emphasized continuity, noting that even if an officer is transferred, the responsibility remains.

This initiative is seen as a step to make the police system more responsive to public grievances and strengthen accountability ahead of local body elections in urban areas.