Police Officers reduced to football, to be kicked: Chidambaram regrets
Home minister P Chidambaram is concerned about the failure of state governments to successfully compyly with the Police Establishment Board — a mechanism suggested by the Supreme Court for deciding on police transfers and postings.
Mr Chidambaram, in his address to DGPs/IGPs meet, wondered why police chiefs were silent when their men are transferred and posted on the whims and fancies of the state governments.
“It is a matter of deep regret that many police officers have been reduced to a football , to be kicked here and there, from one post to another, without regard to the damage done to the job as well as the officer,” he told DGPs. The home minister have asked the DGP’s to look into the matter and what really was the length of tenures of key police functionaries like the deputy superintendents of police and SHOs.
Shockingly, the average length of the DSP’s in states like U is about four months. Punjab, too, has a poor track record on this front. There are states, however, that have delivered on a stable tenure for police officers. These include Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Kerala.
Mr Chidambaram insisted that the DGP’s should voice this and it was their duty to stand up for their officers and, more so, for people they must protect.
“Is it not your duty, as the head of the state police, to raise your voice not only on behalf of your officers but also on behalf of the people that you are duty bound to protect,” he added.
Category: India
