PNS n
Coming down heavily on Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal for seeking funds for modernisation of Punjab police, leader of Opposition in State Assembly Sunil Jakhar on Friday asked him to furnish a detailed expenditure of funds received for the same purpose in 2010-11 and 2011-12.
“To conceal their mismanagement in financial matter, the SAD-BJP Government leaves no opportunity to criticise Congress-led UPA Government. But, the ground reality is that huge cache of funds provided by the Centre for not only modernisation of police but for other public welfare purposes, had gone down to the drains due to economical misconduct of the Punjab Government,” alleged Jakhar.
Officials of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and Finance has revealed that even though Punjab was getting funds for police modernisation, it was not putting sincere efforts to work for the same in letter and spirit. Out of Rs58.17 crore released for police modernisation, mere Rs24.64 crore were spent, he charged.
Jakhar said following recommendations of the 12th Finance Commission, Punjab was getting Rs50 crore annually for police modernisation besides funds for procuring new jammers and mobile tracing equipments. “Entire SAD-BJP leadership is bent upon to use police force to do atrocities on common man in general and Congressmen in particular instead of doing anything constructive for the modernisation of police in the wider interest of the society,” said Jakhar.
He added, “For the real modernisation of Punjab police, SAD-BJP Government should cease misuse of police against the political rivals and let it work freely as per the rule of law.”