New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday, announced that the Uttar Pradesh cabinet has approved proposal to introduce police commissionerate system in the state, despite a stiff resistance from the IAS lobby.  The Chief Minister said that new system will be introduced in Lucknow and Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida) in the initial stage and then gradually be implemented in other districts.

Soon after the announcement, Sujeet Pandey was appointed as Lucknow’s first police commissioner, while Alok Singh was appointed the Police Commissioner in Noida.

"Biggest step towards police reform has been taken by our Government today. Uttar Pradesh cabinet has approved proposal to setup police commissioner system in Lucknow and Noida," Adityanath said.

Addressing a press conference after the cabinet meeting, Yogi asserted that the new system will help in improving the law and order situation in the state.

A proposal to this effect was passed at a cabinet meeting held in Lucknow on Monday morning.

Sources said that ADG rank officers will be posted as commissioners in Lucknow and Noida.

Forty police stations in the state capital will follow this system but those in the rural outskirts will continue with the old system for now.

The police commissionerate system will initially be launched in Lucknow and Noida and then gradually be implemented in other districts, depending on its success.

The police commissionerate system, when implemented, will leave the district magistrates with only revenue related work and all decisions regarding law and order will be taken by the police commissioners.

The top civil administrative officials, for this reason, have been opposing the commissionerate system.

BJP spokesperson Harish Chandra Srivastava, meanwhile, said that "There are states which have already implemented this system successfully.

(inputs from agencies)