Haryana Government’s constituted committee to study the recommendations for reforms in Police Department as given in the report of retired IPS Parkash Singh Committee, has invited suggestions from the bureaucrats.
The government had constituted a committee under the chairpersonship of Additional Chief Secretary and Financial Commissioner Revenue and Disaster Management to give its recommendations on the “concluding observations” given in the Prakash Singh Committee’s report on last year’s Jat agitation in the state.
“The committee has felt that views of all IAS,IPS,HCS (EB) and HPS officers working in the State Government might be invited for wider consultations with stakeholders. Therefore, a written communication to this effect has been sent to all IAS,IPS,HCS (EB) and HPS officers with a request to kindly give their inputs or comments in this regard upto March 31 positively to the Personnel Department,” said an official spokesman.
As per the terms of reference of the committee, it would restore authority of institution of Chief Secretary, strengthen the office of Commissioners of Divisions, posting of Deputy Commissioners, strengthen Home Department and improve coordination between Civil and Police Administration, said he.
He said that the committee would also look into related issues of governance, wherever it feels appropriate, while deliberating upon the suggested reforms. It will also carry out consultations with various stakeholders, as may be necessary.
Notably, retired DGP Parkash Singh who was entrusted with the responsibility of probing the causes of last year’s Jat agitation and lapses in curbing the violence, in his report had castigated the officers at the helm of affairs who wilfully let the agitation flare up.
In his first report submitted to the Haryana Government on May 13 last year, he had indicted about 90 police and administrative officers for their "failure to act".
The State Government had later asked Prakash Singh to stop working on his second report on police reforms in the state and had decided to examine the recommendations related to internal security given in his first report.
The Jat agitation in February last year had led to the deaths of 31 people, injured more than 300 and resulted in loss of public and government property amounting to crores of rupees in Haryana.