On-line police complaints in Gujarat soon

GANDHINAGAR - Keen to ensure transparency and prompt redressal of grievances, the Gujarat government is planning to introduce online filing of First Information Reports (FIRs) and police complaints by the end of the year, home department officials said.

The home department decided on the move after it found through surveys that people faced maximum dissatisfaction during the filing of complaints and FIRs.

E-service was introduced at the district collectorate of Gandhinagar when Sonal Misra was district collector.

According to the official, by going online citizens will be able to check the status of their complaint, which would in turn ensure transparency, help streamline the grievance redressal machinery and a paperless police station.

To remove glitches in the new system, a pilot project is being carried out at a police station in Gandhinagar district.

After fine-tuning the pilot project, the online registration will be introduced in the principal cities like Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot and Surat before extending it to other parts of the state.

“The idea is to save people repeated trips to the police station and ensure that services are available to them online. The registration of tenants and servants, checking on status of passports as well as reporting theft of vehicles and filing of missing persons reports can also be done online,” the official said.