CAG finds gaps in police modernisation programmes

Bhubaneswar: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India(CAG) in its report has found holes in the on-going police modernisation programme in the state. The Finanace Minister Prafulla Ghadai today tabled the CAG report on Civil, Revenue Receipt and Commercial in the state assembly.

The CAG in its Civil report said that there was severe lacunae in the long term planning of police modernisation programme to bridge the gap between police preparedness and management nor had proper yardsticks been fixed to rate work efficiency of the police personnel. The modernisation too lacked proper planning to tackle Maoist problem in the state, the report said. The report pointed out that the modernisation programme was based on casual parameters without scientific analysis of ground reports and objectionable details. The CAG complained that the police department even failed to comply with district details of items supplied under the modernisation programme.

The report said that district Superintendents of Police(SPs) submitted annual plans under the modernisation programme even without consideration of infrastructural exigencies. There was even acute shortage of proper trained manpower to handle sophisticated arms and ammunition purchased by the department and there was no effective planning before purchase of such items. The Odisha police failed to achieve the target in intelligence gathering programs to tackle Maoist menace, to increase efficiency in investigation and trial of cases. The CAG wondered how the government and the Director General of Police(DGP) monitored the police modernisation programme in the state.