Despite being its controlling authority, the Central Government on Wednesday made a bizarre move by publically pulling up the Delhi Police for failing to utilise all the resources made available to it by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Maintaining that the safety and security of Delhi’s residents were its primary concern, the Government asked the Delhi Police to use all its resources judiciously.
The Government gave the Delhi Police a public rap on the knuckles by coming out with a public notice in newspapers to highlight how 370 vehicles delivered to the Delhi Police by the MHA by April 15, 2013 for being used as PCR vans are yet to be inducted into the PCR fleet; how `30 crore sanctioned to Delhi Police for purchase of motor vehicles was lying unutilized; and how 6,051 sanctioned posts continue to lie vacant.
The advertisement released through the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP) clearly seeks to blame the Delhi Police for failing to implement and utilise the resources and infrastructure provided by Ministry of Home Affairs on time.
The strange public notice that appeared in several newspapers blames Delhi Police for not filling the vacant posts properly. It also tells the Delhi Police to first fill the vacancies, rather than seeking sanction of more posts from the MHA.
Why the Government chose to pull up the Delhi Police through a public notice instead of directing it to act remains a mystery. Senior MHA officials were unavailable for comment as they are in the US with Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde.
“With a view to further strengthen the Delhi Police, 370 vehicles, meant to be used as PCR vans were sanctioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs in February 2013. These vehicles were delivered to Delhi Police by April 15, 2013. However, they are still awaiting induction into the PCR fleet by Delhi Police. Ministry of Home Affairs has directed Delhi Police to quickly induct and deploy them at various locations,” says the public notice issued by the Central Government.
The advertisement also urges Delhi Police to quickly utilize the funds granted by the MHA. “There is a sufficient allocation of Rs 30 crore for purchase of vehicles which is lying unutilized with Delhi Police. The MHA has also directed Delhi Police to quickly utilize this amount so that additional funds may be given to them in the next Budget supplementary,” it said.
Blaming Delhi Police for not filling up vacancies, the Central Government’s public notice said: “However the MHA has taken a serious note of 6,051 vacancies (against posts already sanctioned) lying vacant with Delhi Police. The MHA has advised Delhi Police to first fill up the existing vacancies and then only send proposals for sanction of new posts. Delhi Police is expected to utilize all its resources judiciously; to make the vehicles available at its disposal fully operational and to fill up the posts lying vacant with them,” said the last paragraph of the advertisement, cautioning the lethargic Delhi Police.