Taking exception to senior IPS and allied services officials going around with an entourage — including their junior staff, the Union Home Ministry has directed the Central Police Organisations and the State police forces to shun the British era practice and involve the staff for productive work instead.
“It is commonly seen that whenever there is any movement of Police Officials besides CPO (Central Police Organisations), there is a mighty show of junior staff to escort the senior officers, generally seen in IPS and allied services,” the Union Home Ministry said in a note to the CPO chiefs and State police forces.
“The staff involved in decorating the senior officer, should be more involved in some productive work because this fashion was needed by Britishers to show their might, now they are our brethren,” the Ministry said, highlighting the need to restrain such an outlandish exercise.
When asked whether the Border Security Force (BSF) has curtailed the escort paraphernalia during the movement of senior officials in keeping with the Union Home Ministry order, Director General of the paramilitary DK Pathak told The Pioneer, “What has been curtailed is what is more than actually required. Essential security component has not been curtailed because security concerns are important. Wherever possible, vehicles will be pooled in. All these instructions are equally applicable to me.”
Directors General of National Investigation Agency Sharad Kumar, Arvind Ranjan of Central Industrial Security Force and Dilip Trivedi of Central Reserve Police Force did not respond to a similar query.
Meanwhile, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force has directed all its formations for strict adherence to the Ministry’s instructions and avoiding such practices. The paramilitary has also directed its field formations to judiciously use its human resources.
According to the existing practice in most of the police and paramilitary forces, a host of junior officers and staff escort their senior bosses whenever they move in and out of their offices, causing wasteful use of trained personnel and unwarranted movement of a large number of vehicles.