Warring officers

Prashun Bhaumik |

By Lokpal Sethi

Despite stiff resistance from the IAS lobby, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has finally opted for the police commissioner system in two cities – the state capital of Jaipur and his hometown Jodhpur. When on March 9, Gehlot, who also holds the finance portfolio, in his budget speech, announced the introduction of the system in the two cities, there was jubilation among IPS officials, who have been fighting for this for over two decades.

But they were cautioned by an old hand, a former DGP of the state, to be wary of the IAS lobby which will do everything to delay the implementation or even sabotage it. Officer Amitabh Gupta should know. During his long and distinguished carrier in the police, he has had the personal experience of how the IAS has successfully scuttled such moves not once but several times.

At present an IAS officer as the collector of the district enjoys enormous power and authority, which includes judicial, revenue and over and above the authority to give orders to his police superintendent to maintain law and order in the district.

Under the police commissioner system, the power and authority of collectors will be limited to revenue matters while the rest will transfer to the police chief.

In 1995, when Bhairon Singh Shekhawat was heading the BJP government, the proposal for a police commissioner for Jaipur was almost through. Being a former policeman he was knew how civil officials dictated to police officials. In fact the name of the police commissioner for Jaipur was decided and a search for his office was launched. But then the proposal was suddenly dropped. The IAS lobby was quick to point out the flaws in the system. They told Shekhawat that wherever this system was in place, it had failed to fulfill its much promised aim to check crime and control law and order.

Normally senior police officials complain that they hardly have a free hand to deal with law and order and hence are unable to get desired results. On the other hand, the IAS lobby holds forth the example of Mumbai and Delhi, where there is police commissioner, and how it has failed.

Some time back in a meeting of the IAS Association a proposal was discussed that as the post and the functioning of the director-general of police (DGP) are more or less administrative in nature, the post should be held by an IAS officer, more capable in such matters. “This only shows the IAS mindset and wants to grab all important posts and positions in the government,” warns Gupta.