The cell will exclusively deal with public grievances against any police personnel of Kolkata Police or any police station under its jurisdiction.

To improve its direct interaction with the masses, senior police officers holding the rank of joint commissioners and divisional commissioners will do the rounds of local police stations under their jurisdiction. The official website of Kolkata Police will announce the specific dates and time on which the officers are to visit local police stations. Notice boards will also be put up at police stations announcing the same.

"Now people can directly interact with these senior police officers at the local police stations instead of going all the way to Lalbazar," said Commissioner Goutam Mohon Chakraborti. To seek redressal via the cell, people will have to first lodge a complaint at the local police station. If that does not help, the complainant can directly lodge a complaint before the AC or inform the cell via a letter or email.

"We will, however, not entertain any anonymous or pseudonymous complaints. A `whistleblower' who is unwilling to disclose his identity on specific ground may lodge the complaint directly before the Commissioner of Police or the Assistant Commissioner of Police (1). Depending on the gravity of the complaint, it will be forwarded to the relevant officer or the public grievance cell," said Chakraborti.

But no civil disputes will be entertained. The cell will function under an assistant commissioner of police within the ambit of direct supervision of the Additional Commissioner of Police (1) who is also the de facto Chief Vigilance Officer of Kolkata Police.