Over 40 police inspectors who have been transferred to different posts since June this year have not taken charge so far. Taking a serious note of this, the State police chief has issued showcause notices charging them with disobedience and dereliction of duty.
“You are held responsible for work at the police station being hampered and this is a violation of Karnataka Civil Service (Conduct) Rules, 2021, and by violating government orders you have shown extreme irresponsibility, insubordination and dereliction of duty,” the showcause notice issued by Additional Director General of Police (administration) Soumendu Mukharjee said.
The showcause notice issued on Thursday directs officials to report to the duty immediately or submit their reply explaining their absence with the reason in the next seven days failing which they would be suspended and a departmental inquiry initiated against them.
Police transfers proved to be herculean task for the for the incumbent government as there were a lot of confusion in the earlier transfers. Although the Police Establishment Board headed by the State police chief is supposed to oversee the transfers of Deputy Superintendents of Police and police inspectors, the decisions invariably involve political pressures with officers using recommendations from MLAs and Ministers for plum city postings. These recommendations come from politicians who have no knowledge of factors like division of labour, special skills, optimum utilization of resources while deciding on their postings, a senior official said.
Karnataka Lokayukta Police
A perusal of the list of 40 inspectors who have refused to take up new postings show that 15 of them have been posted to Karnataka Lokayukta Police, a non-executive posting that seems to have no takers. Given that the organisation is presently headed by “strict” officers, many do not want to join them, sources said. “If given a choice I would not like to join Lokayukta Police,” one of the inspectors who has been posted there but hasn’t reported to his posting yet,said.
“Though the Police Establishment Board is formulated on the orders of the Supreme Court, it had remained a rubber stamp giving out formal orders based on recommendations of the Chief Minister, Ministers and MLAs. The problem of officers not reporting to their new assigned postings is not a new one. These officers feel they can lobby hard and get their postings changed and many are successful as well. There have been cases where officers haven’t reported to their new assigned postings for even a year,” a senior police official said.
Home Minister G. Parameshwar has warned of strict action against erring officials.
Even though the Police Establishment Board has powers to punish erring junior officials, it is also accountable for not executing the orders of the government in a proper and strict manner.
