Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 8: Shocking it may sound but it is a fact that Jammu and Kashmir, which is still fighting militancy, is unable to overcome even the basic deficiencies in infrastructural facilities for State Police because of financial constraints. Moreover, the Police Modernization grant being given by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has fallen victim to inordinate delay in furnishing of pending Utilization Certificates (UCs) of previous financial year despite the fact that crucial period of current financial year has already lapsed.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Jammu and Kashmir Police is grappling with unprecedented deficiencies in infrastructural facilities mainly at Police Station and Police Post levels, which otherwise are first contact points for the people in distress.
“Due to these deficiencies, the efficient and effective police functioning at these two important levels remain at stake and as primary function of watch and ward, patrolling and surveillance is getting hampered”, sources further said.
The intensity of the deficiencies can be gauged from the fact that 18 Police Stations and 103 Police Posts across the State are presently without own buildings. Moreover, numerous Police Stations and Police Posts are without reception, interrogation room and rest rooms. Even huge number of Police Stations and Police Posts lack desired level of mobility facilities thereby hampering the functioning of Jammu and Kashmir Police, which is not only vested with the responsibility of ensuring basic policing but also the task of maintaining hawk’s eye on the activities of anti-national elements, sources revealed.
Notwithstanding the fact that cops require adequate number of barracks, State Government has failed to provide them this vital facility, sources said while disclosing that there is a shortfall of around 100 barracks for the State Police Force against its actual requirement. “The Police Force is facing these and other deficiencies despite the fact that Bureau of Police Research and Development, which comes under Union Ministry of Home Affairs, has a number of times stressed that adequate steps should be taken by the Jammu and Kashmir Government for providing all requisite infrastructural facilities”, sources added.
“What to talk of infrastructural facilities, no focus has been laid on manpower requirement in Police Stations particularly of efficient Investigating Officers”, sources said, adding “though Bureau of Police Research and Development has recommended periodic review of manpower in Police Stations on the basis of crime and complaints and the special needs of the particular area in respect of population and problems, no focus is being laid on this vital aspect as a result of which Police Stations and Police Posts are reeling under shortage of manpower”.
In response to a question, sources said, “the assistance being provided by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs under Police Modernization Funds is too small for ensuring adequate infrastructural facilities at Police Station and Police Post levels”.
“Even State Government is not keeping adequate funds at the disposal of Jammu and Kashmir Police for meeting its infrastructural requirements”, sources further said, adding “due to shortage of funds and lack of infrastructural facilities, the ultimate casualty is day to day functioning of the Police Stations and Police Posts, which otherwise is imperative for effective service delivery”.
They further said, “on one side the J&K is facing financial constraints in meeting its infrastructural requirements and on the other side it is unable to avail the benefit of even meager Police Modernization grant”, adding “during the current financial year not even single penny has been released to the J&K Government by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs because of State’s inability to furnish the Utilization Certificates of previous financial year”.
In response to a question, they said, “the MHA has sanctioned the Police Modernization grant for the current financial year but the same has been withheld for want of Utilization Certificates”, adding “as crucial period of current year has already elapsed, J&K would not be able to utilize the funds for the current year even if the same are released during the current month”.
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