Patna: BJP Rajya Sabha member Shambhu Sharan Patel on Saturday questioned the police and administrative machinery in Bihar over recurring incidents of girls being harassed, saying law and order required improvement.Speaking to the reporters, Patel alleged the police system had “completely collapsed” and claimed SPs did not answer calls when incidents involving girls occurred. He said the NDA govt under Nitish Kumar had driven criminals out of Bihar after coming to power in 2005, but criminals no longer feared the law.“The people of Bihar have given a mandate based on the face of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. If you approach any official in any central government department, you receive a prompt response. However, such a system is not visible in Bihar. Policing in Bihar has become monopolized. Those who hold the power to transfer officers only answer calls from specific individuals,” he alleged.Patel said the work being done in Bihar did not match the scale of the NDA mandate. “We must perform, as the people of Bihar have kept us in power for the last 20 years; good governance is our priority. Criminals in Bihar no longer fear the police. The situation will not improve until there is a comprehensive reshuffle of the entire administrative machinery. There is no respect without fear. Bihar’s development will only be possible if competent officers are posted there,” he said.Recounting a personal experience, Patel said he had tried calling the Patna SSP after an incident involving a girl but received no response and an FIR had not been registered.Citing incidents in Jamui, Samastipur and Banka, he said, “We must admit that the Bihar Police is not functioning effectively.”
