The proposal of paying policemen 30 per cent allowances if they choose to join jails on deputation keeps hanging fire despite three months having passed since the announcement. Moreover, the State administrative officers who are to execute the announcement on the ground are said to be now backing out, saying that the announcement was made casually more as a bait to lure the cops into the jail-deputation net rather than as a serious commitment made in earnest.
The top cops of the State are in the dock with over 75 policemen having applied expressing will to join the jails on deputation. Those running the police headquarters have sounded frustrated on Saturday with the administrative officials seeking to trifle with the commitment. Mention worthy, numerous announcements made by the Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat have been meeting the same fate over the years.
The announcement followed the deep concern expressed by the CM on July 20 over the crumbling jail administration because of the acute staff crunch. It was said that around 75 per cent of the posts in the State’s jails is lying vacant for years. A visibly frustrated CM had attributed it to lack of coordination and cooperation between police headquarters and State administration.
Venting his annoyance, Rawat had said that he was fed up with police forwarding the excuse of the policemen not being willing to take up posts in the jails. “I want State police to ensure that policemen are deputed in jails in coordination with State administration,” he had said, sending a stern message to all concerned.
CM Rawat had further said that around six sub-inspectors and 50 policemen would be sent for deputation in jails for a year by which period recruitment of jail officials would be completed. He had also stressed on equipping the jails with the essential equipments like CCTV cameras, mobile phone jammers, mental detectors, door frame metal detectors and biometric system among others.
Notably, shortage of jail officials, including jail superintendent, jailor, deputy jailors, head warders, warders and female warders, has been leaving an adverse impact on the functioning of jail administration in the State where incidents of the inmates escaping from the jails are happening at regular intervals.
State Director General of Police (DGP) BS Sidhu said on Saturday that following the direction of the Chief Minister, several proposals had been sent to the State administration over the matter of deputation of policemen in jails. “Around 75 policemen have applied, expressing their readiness to join jails on deputation,” he said, hinting that they could not proceed further until the decks are cleared from the end of the State administration.