ASHWINI A. writes: Public Private Partnership has willy-nilly become the mantra in namma Bangalore. It is the magic wand that is waved, sometimes by government, sometimes by NGOs, sometimes by the media and other drumbeaters, but most times by the corporates.
On the face of it, nothing can seem more noble: the prospect of private organisations dipping into their deep pockets to paper over the problems facing the public. It’s a win-win. But, look around you, and the initiative is fast becoming mindlessly annoying.
Consider just one example: Public-Private Partnerships in police stations.
Police stations in Silicon Halli used to operate from buildings that were falling apart, dying for maintenance, and held up by hope and prayer. Successive governments with budgets of thousands of crores of rupees somehow did not seem to have enough dough to have decent and modern buildings for the law keepers.
Enter, the corporates.
They ‘adopt’ one or two police station buildings, spend anywhere between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 50 lakh for cosmetic alterations, and renovate them. UB Group, Metro, Brigade Group, Indus Apparel, Infosys, Toyota have all stepped in and chipped in. These corporates then go to town boasting about their corporate social responsibility initiatives, hog media limelight, and are happy.
Nothing wrong with this, actually. The policemen get a decent place to work from, the government saves a bit of money, and the corporates bag some bragging rights for cheap.
But…
Have a look at the branding the police stations (and the public) have to bear with, and you will start seeing a different picture.
The Cubbon Park police station nameboard has huge signage of Kingfisher Beer. Sadashiva Nagar police station is dwarfed by Indus Apparel. Yeshwanthpur by Brigade. Seshadripuram by Metro. Kengeri by Toyota.
The corporate branding on police station nameboards and entrances is so overbearing that it sucks. One gets the feeling that these corporates—by doling out a few thousand rupees—actually own the police stations and We, the People (policemen included) should be grateful and thankful to the corporates for their benevolence.
Police stations are most often the first and most important interfaces for the government with the people. Can we allow these to get branded (and bandied about) just because our governments do not have money to spend for their upkeep?
Is this kind of branding of police stations is sensitive/appropriate? For example, is the public wrong to wonder if Kengeri Police Station will look at an industrial dispute in Toyota through the sponsor’s eyes rather than through the workers’?
Can corporates get away with brazen branding of government institutions? Are we allowing public spaces to shrink by allowing them to become private properties in a way?
Should there not be a more organised way to welcome corporate donations meant for providing better infrastructure for police stations?
Can’t we have a PPP pool to which any corporate or individual can contribute and the total money then used for achieve a set goal? Government could honour or thank the corporates for their gesture. But should the corporates /brands sit on the heads (name boards) of police stations dictating brand usage in return for their donations?
Are we heading towards time when a board outside a police station will read: “Kingfisher is the official beer of this police station”?
Hello!! Whats the big deal about this piece of news?? What makes it so unweary to the eyes of the public!! This is much better than having a old dilapilated building. FYI..They the corporates arent doning the police station, are they??
BTW its much better to have a Kingfisher board than, the pissed up and stinking police station wall and the notices of some Trade unions on them or some politicans face cut.
“ಬಯಸದೇ ಬಂದ ಭಾಗ್ಯ ”
bayasade banda bhaagya
it is unethical, & distasteful. plain wrong. policing has to be and be seen as an impartial arm of the state, which is neither sold to nor in debt of any parties.
that the state itself is not internally resourceful enough to maintain its police stations is a poor reflection on its sorry state.
Arguably, one of the few functions which, is the rationale of all government (especially for us right wingers!) is the ability to maintain law and order. The taxes should be sufficient to cover a. infrastructure b. justice system (including the police) c. army/external affairs.
If they cannot even do that, then there is no need to have a government. Please give me back my taxes.
I meant…rationale for existence of all governments. Sorry for the typos.
haha, nice headline!
Corporations should be welcome to fund building developments.
Their contribution should be recognized in a more dignified manner — maybe with a nice granite plaque in the lobby.
The way it is being done now seems obnoxious — it creates a poor impression of the police, perhaps even hurts their credibility. Plus, it creates an unsavory impression of the corporations as well.
I thought Kingfisher Beer was already the official beer of most police stations :)
Seriously, I agree with Nikhil. Corporate help can be acknowledged in a more subdued manner.
I agree with ts and qm. Govt has no money for policestations? Where are all the taxes going? Why does’nt the govt use Private money for parks, libraries and other things and maintain police stations themselves? sad situation.
Wouldn’t be so bad if some of our political leaders also put up big signs showing who endorses them…
Also industrial disputes are not resolved in police stations. There are other fora for the same.
Plus ordinary citizens can’t make complaints against a company in a police station, there are other fora for the same.
..and if we really, really cared about our police stations, would any of our very vocal RWAs have gone around raising funds for the same? And even if they had, would they have given up a chance to make it known to the public? Would we give up a chance to hide our voluntary work if it makes us look better in other people’s eyes?
I love the smell of hypocrisy in the afternoon….
alok, while what you say holds true for corporations people who work in those corporations are still subject to the same rules as the rest of us are.
Weekend, a constable accosted us (group of guys from work) outside a pub in Indranagar and asked us – ‘aiytha’ when we were coming out. It was about 11:00pm then. The others in the group didnt know kannada and the cop was getting aggressive. When a couple of us said – ‘aiythu, hogthaiddhivi’, he smiled at us and positioned himself near the entrance.
Thing is he had a gun slung over his shoulder and he was piss drunk. The other two constables with him were drunk too.
Maybe they can start using the pubs during the daytime as a police station. Will save the sponsors some trouble. (I have nothing against policemen drinking, but these guys were in uniform and two were carrying their WWI vintage rifles for effect).
Hi,
” Is this kind of branding of police stations is sensitive/appropriate? For example, is the public wrong to wonder if Kengeri Police Station will look at an industrial dispute in Toyota through the sponsor’s eyes rather than through the workers’?
”
This was a very relevant point. Whenever there is an strike or something or that sort in Toyota, the impartiality of the police will go out of the window. Remember the Honda factory strike in Gurgaon??
This is as wrong as handing over of government primary schools to Wipro foundation.
What would happen if Wipro is taken over by an IBM or worse, a Chinese company (possible though unlikely)??
Down Brigade Road there is a monument to war heroes. It is obliterated by a hideous column of a construction company which professes to maintain the monument. The company’s own name is the loudest declaration on the spot.
In Western cities (Chicago:around North Michigan Avenue, for example) small obscure metal plates here and there acknowledge that private benevolence is paying for maintenance. No names are mentioned!
While going down the Old Madras road, a cousin of me asked me, if this is the TCS office?
I donot remember TCS office there, and I peeped out of window, to find Indiranagar police station “built” by TCS.
While it is good to provide facilities, and private partnership in public activities, publicity can take a back stage, and “real partnership” will anyway bring in its own credibility and worth.
The Govt can even now ask the Home Ministry to get rid of the Corp Logos on the Police Stations. The ‘Gandaberunda’ logo should be the most prominent one and no other image should be seen. Let these Corporates be given a small corner inside the stations to put up a plaque. This sick practice of branded police stations and trains should stop.
Srikanth – the co is not tcs but ifl x…and internally in the company, it was announced as a charity done…
Well, if the higher up’s in the Police department think “it’s o.k” and are willing to barter basic morals for charity, it’s only a sign of weakness, who would honor them if, they cannot honor themselves, it’s only the lower rank police who have to face the situation, working in these ‘shelters’.