Inspector Sanjay Dubey is on a unique mission - to enhance and beautify every police station at which he is posted.

Bahraich: It was 1991. Sanjay Dubey had just begun his training as a Sub Inspector in the Uttar Pradesh Police. Soon after, he received a call from the Air Force, leaving him confused about which career path to take. When he consulted a senior officer, he was told that if he wanted to enjoy his life and all the perks associated with government service, then he should join the Air Force. But, if he wanted to do something for society and serve the poor, he should stay in police services. Dubey chose the latter and never regretted it. He continues to feel proud about being part of an organisation that does so much essential work in society. 

“When I got inducted into the police services, the facilities that we had were very poor. We did not even have toilets. It struck me that I will not get any other work in this lifetime, so why not do what I have with full honesty. And that's how it all started. Wherever I went, construction, beautification, and gardening followed, and it continued uninterrupted. I thought that maybe someday I will be transferred to a place where everything was perfect and no change would be needed, but it never happened. So I had the opportunity to do something new everywhere.”

“It started in 1996 at the Pallia outpost. The condition of Ramlila Maidan was very poor. We planted around 20 Ashoka trees and created beautiful flower beds there. The outpost was also renovated with public support. When I was at the Suratganj outpost in the Barabanki district, we renovated the outpost and planted many trees around it along the roadside. During my stay, I noticed that buses from Lucknow would halt near the outpost and the passengers, especially women, faced problems due to the lack of toilets. With public support, I got a toilet constructed next to the outpost. People appreciated my work and respected me very much.”

Inspector Dubey has planted more than 20,000 trees and many more plants since the start of his service (Picture sourced by Azeem Mirza)

The response left Dubey feeling doubly motivated. When he was transferred to the Parasandi police post in Barabanki, he got the building reconstructed with public support. Trees were planted on both sides of the 3-km stretch of road leading to the outpost. “Days passed, and my professional life continued. From Barabanki to Lakhimpur, Bahraich, and Gonda, rejuvenation work at five outposts and 20 police stations are all credited to me,” he said. 

“There were some police stations where I got more time to work. I will specifically mention the Tarbganj police station of Gonda district wherein I got a beautiful park constructed, planted 400 trees of Neem, 250 trees of Karaunda, 50 trees of Ashoka and mango, and many small plants. All with the support of the general public.”

After this, he was posted as Inspector in Wazirganj (Gonda). After constructing and renovating the building with public cooperation, a beautiful park was constructed in which various flowering plants and 100 trees of Neem, some Pakdar trees were planted. This police station was honoured with ISO 9001:2015 certification because of its high standards.

To gain the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 9001) stamp, a police station must meet certain standards pertaining to infrastructure, crime rate, policing, record-keeping as well as cleanliness. Everything is evaluated multiple times, and only then is an ISO certification conferred. 

 Inspector Dubey (on left) receiving the ISO 9001:2015 certification for the Wazirganj police station. (Right) A colleague taking a moment to enjoy the landscaping (Pictures sourced by Azeem Mirza)

Whether it is the tracing of a cybercrime gang to Delhi or the arrest of the Mugu Rao gang from Odisha, Inspector Sanjay Dubey has conducted his government duties passionately, while planting more than 20,000 trees in and around different outposts and police stations. When asked about the expenses incurred in planting so many trees and reconstruction of police stations and whether people cooperated with him out of fear, he smiled and said, “In the early days of service, I had to spend my own money and used to take the help of friends, but when people noticed the work on the ground, they came forward to help. Now, there are days when people come to me and say, ‘Please tell me if there is anything that I can do’.”

“I will continue to plant trees to improve the environment during my service and even after my retirement,” Inspector Dubey said.