Zero-tolerance on drugs and other illegal activities, nobody will be spared
New Mangaluru Police Commissioner warns Rowdies in an interview with Vartha Bharati
Mangaluru: IPS Officer Dr. Harsha PS, took charge as the new Commissioner of Mangaluru Police on Friday, August 9 after his predecessor Sandeep Patil was transferred to Bengaluru as the Joint Commissioner of city’s crime department.
Having served in the Dakshina Kannada more than a decade back as the Assistant Superintendent of Police in Puttur, Dr. Harsha says he is much familiar with the people of the District and knows how things work in Coastal Karnataka.
Vartha Bharati Sub-editor Ismail Zaorez recently caught up with the incoming officer for an exclusive interview at his office, wherein he spoke on a range of topics and elaborated on his plans as the City's Commissioner of Police.
Excerpts from the interview:
What are your views about Mangaluru?
Mangaluru is one of the most cosmopolitan, globally relevant and fast-growing city of India. It is also a pride of Karnataka with very rich cultural roots. It’s been a hub of education and one of very sound health cities with a history of having accommodated people of all religions and cultures.
What will be your priorities as the Commissioner of Mangaluru City Police?
The priority will be to take policing closer to the people here and to make it people-friendly. We will straightaway work towards strengthening the beat system at the police stations. We will be actively collaborating with various groups of citizens, religious leaders and influencers of the society to pinpoint the problems of citizens and how they can be tackled. Second priority will be zero tolerance about any goondaism which pose a threat to the tranquility of the society. Also, we will deal with any illegal activities strictly. Mangaluru is a fast-growing city, so traffic is also a priority, and we are working on bringing in new methods through which we can regulate seamless and congestion-free traffic in the city.
Traffic and Drugs are two of the biggest problems the city is currently facing. How are you planning to deal with it?
In any developing city where there are students and migrant population, drugs abuse and substance abuse will be there. It causes a lot of inconvenience to the administration and Mangaluru is no different. I have been informed about this problem. We have planned a few programs to deal with it. We will collaborate with individuals and educational institutions and we will continuously work towards uprooting the source and peddlers from the city. There will be zero tolerance in this regard. Those who are involved in peddling and consumption of drugs, they better refrain from such activities, otherwise, we will not spare anybody.
Apart from Drugs and Traffic, Mangaluru also has a tag of being ‘Communally Sensitive’ city. What are your views about it?
Coastal Karnataka has been a house to several cultures and various lifestyles, so I will not call it communally sensitive. It’s a fact that people of various cultures, religions, ethnicity have been staying in this region. If you look at it, Dakshina Kannada has been an ambassador to the communal harmony and co-existence of several cultures, religions and ethnicity. There have been incidents where the communal harmony and peace of the region have been put to test but law enforcement machinery will take very firm legal action against anybody trying to medal with communal harmony. Again, those will be isolated incidents, if you look at bigger picture people here have been co-existing very peacefully over the years. We will work in collaboration with the religious representatives to ensure peace, harmony in the region.
Your message to the people of Mangaluru.
Mangaluru city can be made much more public friendly only when the people will come together with the police department. Policing is an activity that can effectively work when the people are involved and are cooperating with the Police department. So I want to assure people that the department is for people and will come to their aid whenever there is a need. Whatever be the problem the department will be ready to offer any help to the people. The only appeal to the people is to cooperate with us and not sensationalize issues.
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Karnataka MLC Nazir Ahmed visits Ajman Ruler’s Court, Thumbay Medicity
Ajman, UAE: Karnataka Legislative Council member and Political Secretary to the Chief Minister, Nazir Ahmed, visited the Ajman Ruler’s Court and Thumbay Medicity, strengthening ties between Karnataka and the UAE.
At the Ruler’s Court, Ahmed met Sheikh Dr. Majid bin Saeed Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Ruler’s Court, to discuss avenues for collaboration in healthcare, education, and research. He extended an invitation to Sheikh Majid to visit Bengaluru and proposed a future delegation of high-level officials from Karnataka to Ajman and Thumbay Medicity.
As part of the visit, Ahmed toured Thumbay Medicity’s state-of-the-art healthcare, medical education, and research facilities. Praising the institution’s achievements, he described it as a global hub for healthcare excellence.
Commending the efforts of Dr. Thumbay Moideen, founder and president of Thumbay Group, Ahmed acknowledged his role in establishing Thumbay Medicity as a leader in the field. “It is a matter of immense pride to witness Dr. Thumbay’s remarkable progress and the iconic achievements of Thumbay Medicity,” he said.
Dr. Thumbay expressed gratitude for the visit, emphasizing the importance of collaborations that benefit both the UAE and India. “This visit marks a significant milestone in strengthening our shared vision for excellence in healthcare and education,” he stated.
Thumbay Medicity in Ajman is known for its advanced healthcare services, cutting-edge medical education, and pioneering research. It continues to gain global recognition as a model for integrated healthcare and education.
