The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh on Monday approved the commissionerate system of policing in Lucknow and Noida, which aims at giving more powers to the police. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by the chief minister.

“The biggest step towards police reform has been taken by our government today. The Uttar Pradesh cabinet has approved the proposal to set up police commissioner system in Lucknow and Noida,” the chief minister said at a press conference.

Adityanath said state capital Lucknow and economic capital of the state Noida will have an ADG-level officer as police commissioner. Both police commissioners will have magisterial powers.

The system gives more powers, including magisterial powers, to police officers and is aimed at better and effective policing. Under the new system, 40 police stations in Lucknow will be brought under the police commissioner who will have a team of two IGs as joint commissioners, nine SP-rank officials and a lady officer of SP rank along with a lady officer of ASP rank, the chief minister said.

The lady officers will work exclusively for cases relating to crime against women and its control. In Noida, under the ADG rank official as commissioner, there will be two DIGs, five SPs, an SP-rank lady officer and an ASP rank official for traffic control.

“Since the past 50 years, there was a demand to enforce the police commissionerate system for smart policing and today the cabinet has taken a decision in this regard,” the chief minister said.

“It was being considered since the past sometime that this system should be used for the urban population but it was ignored because of lack of political will power. I am happy that it has been approved for implementation in these two important areas,” the chief minister said.

The cabinet has also approved setting up two new police stations in Noida, he said.

Besides, a network of CCTVs will also be set by in these two districts, he said. To a question, if other major cities will also have the police commissionerate system, the chief minister said whatever steps are needed for better law and order will be taken.

The chief minister further asserted that the new system will help in improving law and order in the state.

“It’s bad news of rioters and miscreants as police will not have to wait for magistrate to use force. Now, the police will deal directly with those who riot, cause nuisance, attack the common man and police and ruin public properties,” he said.

Attacking the previous governments for opposing the system, Yogi said, “Police reforms were long-needed in the state but lack of political will on part of previous governments did not allow the system to be implemented.”