Here is what happened when SP Vaid, a senior citizen, dialed PCR’s 100

ZAFAR CHOUDHARY

JAMMU: Group clashes in full public view are rare in Jammu but the Police Control Room got alert about such a fight at the ever busy Bikram Chowk at around 11:15 this morning. The caller who dialled the Police emergency number 100 was one S.P. Vaid, a senior citizen who was passing through Bikram Chowk when he noticed the public disorder. The operator at the Police Control didn’t immediately remember another person of the same name who sits at the top of this system.
Despite this SOS call the PCR van at Bikram Chowk –one of 40 such at different locations in the winter capital city –didn’t move. SP Vaid, the senior citizen checked with the PCR operator whether the force has moved to the location of riot, the operator confirmed that he was contacting the concerned on wireless set. At this, SP Vaid, the senior citizen wondered what happened to that Rs 20 million high tech gadget that would help track the movement of PCR vans in real time.
At this time the other SP Vaid, the Director General of Police came into action. He rushed to the real control room of the PCR to realise that the crisis management was still being handled with an archaic approach despite millions of rupees having been pumped in for modernisation.
It all happened over a cup of tea, which the DGP didn’t drink in the end, Friday morning when Vaid accompanied by a battery of senior officers reached the Police Control Room Jammu for launching a digital interface. While the features of the new interface were being discussed, an officer told us, the DIG Jammu Ashkoor Wani asked a mischievous yet innocent question: what is the purpose of having newer things when the existing are not in their use.
‘What is it’, Vaid, probably, meant to ask. It is the widely popularised ‘100’ number, said a witty Wani as Additional DGs and IGPs looked on. DGP, an officer who attended the meeting told us, tried to lay his hands on 100 number himself. It didn’t connect. Then one officer suggested to try another mobile platform, say Vodafone it Reliance didn’t work. It still didn’t work. Unsuccessful bids to connect with PCR were made from perhaps four different service providers when one of the officers offered his Airtel based mobile.
This time it did. The operator was, it is said, polite. The DGP said to him in hush tone, “I am SP Vaid a senior citizen. There is a group clash at Bikram Chowk. Do something soon”.
After making this call the DGP rushed to the control room where he saw that the real time tracking system was not working. The Police chief is reported to have come down heavily on the concerned and asked them to put the system in working order in next ten days.
There are 40 PCR vans stationed at different locations across the town. Each van is fitted with a hi-tech tablet based gadget which casts real-time movement information back to the control room. It turned out that this system was not working and the communication was still being carried out through wireless sets.
DIG Ashkoor Wani told us that he just pointed out valid concern which was taken by the DGP in right spirit. However, another source said that at least two senior officers –an ADGP and an IGP –were critical of Wani.
Before angrily leaving the meeting, the DGP had a word for the SSP PCR. Ashok Kumar SSP PCR, who is under transfer and was supposed to be relieved tomorrow, has been asked to hold on until the system is put in order. SSP PCR confirmed The News Now that he has been directed to recalibrate the system before leaving for next posting.
SP Vaid the senior citizen’s call to DGP SP Vaid’s organisation’s control room remained a talk of concern for the day in the Police circles.