Agra, Ghaziabad and Prayagraj get first Police Commissioners

Tags: State News

The Uttar Pradesh government issued an order on November 29, 2022, appointing the first police commissioners in three districts of Uttar Pradesh, Agra, Ghaziabad and Prayagraj.

Important facts

• The Uttar Pradesh government on 25 November decided to introduce the police commissionerate system in Agra, Ghaziabad and Prayagraj after it was implemented in Noida, Varanasi, Lucknow and Kanpur.

• The cabinet declared these three districts as metropolitan cities as per the rules of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) before the commissionerate system was introduced.

• Agra has been included in the list considering its growing population, its significance in terms of national and international tourism. 

• Ghaziabad has been included keeping in view its growing population, it being a busy district of the National Capital Region and its new industrial scenario.

• Prayagraj has been included because of its population and religious and cultural significance.

What is a Commissionerate System?

• Various committees to suggest police reforms have recommended the introduction of a police commissionerate system in cities that have witnessed rapid urbanisation and have a population of more than one million.

• Under the Commissionerate system the Commissioner of Police exercises the powers and duties of a District Magistrate.

• These powers are also available to any officer under the commissioner who is not below the rank of an Assistant Commissioner of Police.

• This means that such police officers now have the powers of preventive arrest by invoking section 144 of the CrPC Act.

• According to the commissionerate system the commissioner of Police will directly report to the government, in place of District Magistrate.