Oppn picks holes in police functioning

Wednesday, 23/07/2014

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CHANDIGARH: Raising concerns over the functioning of the state police, Leader of the Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha Sunil Jakhar on Tuesday said the police were supposed to safeguard interests of the common man but it had become a weapon in the hands of party in power.

“It is the same for everyone. In case we had been in power, we also would have tended to do the same,” said Jakhar, talking about the system of making assembly constituency-wise police stations and transferring SHOs and DSPs on the recommendations of the halqa incharges.

Jakhar raised the issue when the Punjab Police (amendment) Bill came up for the approval of the House, for the setting up of the state police complaint authority, under which divisional and district-level authorities would function. He called the entire exercise as a “cover-up”.

As per the amendment, a retired civil services officer of t he rank of chief secretary of the state gover nment or a secretary of the government of India or a DGP could be appointed chairperson of the state authority. Its members can be those who retired from the rank of SSP or above of the state government or a persons with repute and have contributed in the field of academics, social work and public affairs or law. The appointment is for a period of three years or attaining the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier.

Objecting to the amendment, Congress MLA Charanjeet Singh Channi asked how a retired DGP could hear a complaint against the police that he had led in the past. “The government had already thought about the incumbent to be posted on the post,” added Channi. The name of retired IAS officer DS Bains is doing the rounds for being appointed as the chairperson of the state authority.

Though the bill was passed, the opposition alleged that it (bill) had deviated from the recommendations of the Supreme Court, which has directed for creating state-level authorities. Congress MLA Parminder Singh Pinki demanded that MLAs should be given representation in the state-level authority.

Jakhar also said that the police had no funds of their own to conduct raids in faroff places. “They depend on complainants in the case to foot travel expenses,” he said, suggesting that a fund be crated so that the police carry out unbiased investigations.

Clarifying the government’s stand, deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, who also holds the home portfolio, said the amendment in the Punjab Police bill was not a cover-up, instead it was part of the police reforms to bring accountability.

“Very soon, I am going to separate investigations from the law and order function of the police and there would be a new force recruited for VIP duty so that day-to-day functioning of the police is not hampered,” he informed the House.