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Netas snub board, meddle in police transfers

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Written By murali772 - 24 September, 2009

Bangalore governance Media Reports accountability police reforms Others Everything else

Even after Home Minister V S Acharya had recently explained the formation of the Police Establishment Board (PEB) to ensure that transfers are done without “external’’ pressure’’, there seems to be no end to political interference.

Some men in khaki are trying to keep their “plum’’ posts by either refusing to join the new post or by not allowing others to take theirs. In one case, Bangalore Rural DySP Shankarappa ordered closure of his office to avoid another officer taking charge.

IGP Kamal Panth agreed that PEB orders cannot be ignored since it has been set up on Supreme Court’s orders.

For the full text in the New Indian Express, click here

Old habits die hard. But, with the Supreme Court monitoring the matter closely, perhaps we can hope for better days soon, one would like to believe.

Muralidhar Rao
 

COMMENTS

adding insult to injury

murali772 - 11 August, 2017 - 07:57

Some top bureaucrats are contemplating making a formal representation to chief secretary (CS) Subhas Chandra Khuntia, who heads the Karnataka Civil Services Board (KCSB), against frequent reshuffles undertaken by the Karnataka government.
 
The IAS and IPS lobby , in particular, are peeved over the government's brazen violation of rules laid down by the department of personnel and training (DoPT), a central government agency dealing with personnel matters of civil service officials.
 
"Frequent transfers have made the IAS fraternity quite frustrated, and many of them are thinking of moving on central deputation or leaving to join a foreign course. What can we do here when we are not secure about even a year's tenure? We want to make our frustration known to our boss (chief secretary)," said an IAS officer.
 
- - - In 2013, the Supreme Court had suggested fixed tenures for bureaucrats and an independent body to deal with abrupt transfers. Though Karnataka took about three years to constitute the board, it remains defunct.
 
"Politicians are reluctant to give up their control over civil services.The concept that a KCSB comprising top civil servants would act independent of the political executive was rather naive, since most netas crave loyalists rather than efficient bureaucrats,'' said a retired IPS officer.
 
For the full text (emphasis added by me) of the report in the ToI, click here.
 
For all of Supreme Court's recommendations, leading to the setting up of KCSB and PEB (Police Establishment Board), the neta's can't bother to care a damn for them. Demoralised honest officers are just biding time, and the dis-honest lot are making merry alongwith the neta's.
 
The irony of it all would be when an honest officer eventually gets sacked for "non-performance", quite like it has happened to Chattisgarh IPS officer, Mr Kailash Chandra Agrawal, even with his having won a President's medal in the past (for that report in the New Indian Express, click here). That's like adding insult to injury.
 
Meanwhile, for the likes of retired DGP, Mr Sathyanarayana Rao, who was allegedly involved in the Rs 2 cr Sashikala favours scam, it's a happy ending, with all retirement benefits restored - check here. 
 
One wonders when if at all the state will attain any salvation from our rapacious neta-babu lot. 

More info

n - 24 September, 2009 - 15:15

Didn't realize that a PEB had been set up - great news and a pioneering step by Karnataka. *Proud*. If somebody has better eyes than mine, maybe they can decipher the information here. The reduction of corruption and red-tapism will take time (just like exploitation of RTI is taking time) but is a very good step toward long-needed reforms.

can't be without ulterior motives

murali772 - 28 November, 2012 - 12:14

Discontent seem to be brewing in the top echelons of the state police department over the issue of transfers made by the government ignoring the Police Establishment Board (PEB). - - - Two Director General of Police (DGP) rank officers, who are also members of the PEB have taken up the issue with the government. In a strongly worded letter addressed to the chief secretary and the home minister, the DGPs have sought for transfer of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP, Administration) for bypassing the PEB and transferring officials. - - - Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister R Ashok, however, does not consider it has a serious issue.

For the full report in the New Indian Express, click here.

By-passing of the PEB obviously has some ulterior motive behind it, and for all you know it is the doing of the Dy CM himself, who appears to be more and more in the news for all the wrong reasons (check this).

As such, perhaps the action of the two DGP's could do with the backing of the Civil Society. I am shooting off a letter to the CM, CS and ACS accordingly.

letter mailed to CM, CS

murali772 - 28 November, 2012 - 12:51

Have mailed off a letter worded as below to the CM and CS as of now; will be posting the hard copy tomorrow too.

Sri Jagadish Shettar
Honourable Chief Minister, Govt of Karnataka,
Bangalore

Dear Sir

sub: by-passing of Police Establishment Board

We refer to the report in the press (here) that transfers continue to be made ignoring the Police Establishment Board (PEB), and that in fact two Director General of Police rank officers, who are also members of the PEB, have taken up the issue with the government.

Sir, we from the city Civil Society too wish to join issues with the government, alongside the two DGP's, since the matter has serious implications, apart from its being a total travesty of the Supreme Court ruling on the subject. We once again request that all future postings, transfers, etc at senior levels be done strictly in compliance with the PEB deliberations.

We look forward to your affirmative action in that direction.

Thanking you,

Yours truly,
for RAAG (Research, Analysis, Advocacy Group - furthering on the discussions at ‘praja.in’)
sd/-
Muralidhar Rao
(President)

Perhaps the other Civil Society groups would like to follow suit too. I strongly believe in voicing an opinion in such matters for whatever it is worth.

DGP removed from PEB

robinhood - 16 February, 2013 - 19:11

Grave injustice is being done to a Karnataka DGP for fighting for police reforms by removing him from the post. He had recently highlighted irregularities in the Police Establishment Board. He had also asked for the investigation of a murdered RTI activist and several other issues. Such officers need our support.

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/article/1/20130208201302080723466101429eadc/Subordinate-directs-state%E2%80%99s-top-cop-to-act-on-his-demands-.html

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/dgp-loses-peb-membership/article4420969.ece

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