By R.K. Misra
Gandhinagar, Jan 6 (IANS) While police stations in Gujarat suffer from a crippling shortage of vehicles, central funds for increasing operational efficiency of the police force are being frittered away to buy high-end luxury vehicles in violation of central norms, says a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.

A performance review on the Modernisation of the Police Force (MOPF) in Gujarat under a scheme approved by the centre and aimed at providing additional infrastructure to enhance efficiency and effectiveness has brought out glaring anomalies.

The report for the fiscal year ended March 2009 was placed before the Gujarat assembly in the just-concluded session.

Contrary to scheme guidelines, 119 of the vehicles purchased were utilised by district police officers instead of being allotted to police stations and outposts.

The central audit, which covered the period between 2003-04 and 2008-09, stated that the MOPF is meant to provide field vehicles required for basic policing and the prescribed norm is two four-wheelers and three two-wheelers per police station.

Scrutiny of records in selected districts, however, revealed that out of 198 police stations checked, 175 (73 percent) did not have the required number of four- wheelers, while 109 (55 percent) did not have as many two-wheelers as required.

Out of 145 police stations, 138 (95 percent) had only one four-wheeler and five percent none at all, the report found. Out of 109 police stations, 33 percent had only two two-wheelers each and 52 percent had only one.

The audit report noted that while okaying approved annual plans (APPs) the central government was insistent on purchase of soft top vehicles for police stations and had directed the state government expressly against the purchase of vehicles like Tavera and Indigo from the grant because it did not increase the operational efficiency of the police.

However 55 Tavera cars were purchased from the grant revalidated during 2007-08 on the excuse that they fell in the ‘jeep’ category. These vehicles were given to superintendents of police.

“The fact remained that 119 vehicles purchased under the MOPF scheme were allotted to officers, contrary to scheme guidelines, creating shortage of four-wheelers in police stations. This is in violation of the conditions governing allotment of central funds under this category,” the audit report noted.

The CAG has also taken strong exception to the use of MOPF funds by the state government to replace old ‘condemned’ vehicles. Out of 4,147 vehicles purchased between 2003 and 2009, 52 percent were such replacements.

The audit report also brings out that of the total 74,577 weapons available with the Gujarat police on March 2009, 74 percent was archaic .303 rifles and .410 muskets. The shortage of ammunition ranged between 17 percent and 100 percent.

Of the teargas shells in police stocks, 35 percent were past their expiry dates, and 44 percent were 3-7 years old which meant that could be used only for practice.

The elite anti-terrorist squad (ATS) formed in Gujarat in 1993 to counter the increasing threat from terrorist organisations has a sanctioned strength of 64 police personnel. The CAG found that it faces a shortage in various categories ranging between eight percent and 100 percent in January 2009 and that no specific counter-terrorism training was being provided to it.

None of the ATS personnel had been issued the modern 5.56 INSAS rifles and it was only after the audit pointed this out to the state’s director general of police that orders were issued last February to issue 64 such rifles.

“However as police did not have ammunition for INSAS rifles, the weapons cannot be used till the ammunition is procured,” the audit report noted.

(R.K. Misra can be contacted at rk.misra@ians.in)