*Over Rs 1.45 cr paid to suppliers in 4 yrs
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 17: In a testimony of policy paralysis, the Jammu and Kashmir Police is paying huge amount to the owners of private cranes every year for traffic management in twin capital cities of the State instead of considering the proposals about making available budgetary provision for inclusion of such vehicles in the fleet of the Traffic Police.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that during the year 2011, the Traffic Police hired five private cranes after tendering for lifting of wrongly parked vehicles in the capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar and with the passage of time the number of such cranes increased to eight. Besides in the capital cities, these cranes are also being used for lifting of wrongly parked vehicles in some other towns of the State.
These cranes are hired for a period of 11 months after tendering and approval from the Police Headquarters with a provision of further extension on mutual agreement basis, sources said while disclosing that majority of these cranes are owned by a Srinagar-based transporter.
Out of an amount of Rs 600 being realized as towing charges from the operators of wrongly parked vehicles, an amount of Rs 242 per lift is being paid to the owners of the cranes and the remaining amount of Rs 358 is being deposited in the Government Treasury through Jammu and Kashmir Bank, sources said, adding the payment with respect to towing charges is made to the owners/suppliers of the private cranes by SSP Traffic concerned on monthly basis.
“This practice of hiring private cranes after completion of every 11 months is continuing during the past five years on the plea that fuel and complete maintenance of cranes besides the services of the drivers are borne by the owners/suppliers, which otherwise is considered as unfounded ground even by some senior officers of the Traffic Police”, sources said, adding “despite being aware of the fact that addition of cranes in the existing fleet of the Traffic Police vehicles would save lakhs of rupees every year the officers of the Traffic Police are expressing helplessness in convincing the Police Headquarters for the same”.
They disclosed that some senior officers of the Traffic Police had submitted proposals for purchase of 207/407 cranes for being used in the capital cities and other congested towns of the State but the same have been gathering dust in the Police Headquarters, which otherwise should have taken up the same with the Home Department for release of funds.
“The clearance of proposal is imperative as during the past many years no budgetary provision was made for purchase of cranes for use by the Traffic Police”, sources added.
Due to lack of decision on purchase of cranes for the Traffic Police, the Jammu and Kashmir Police is paying hefty amount to the owners of private cranes every year. This can be gauged from the official figures, which indicate that an amount of Rs 1.45 crore was paid for hired cranes during the past four years. Had there been own cranes with the Traffic Police, this amount would have been saved for meeting other requirements.
During the year 2012, an amount of Rs 33.63 lakh was paid to the owners of the cranes and this figure increased to Rs 35.14 lakh in 2014 and Rs 49.36 lakh in 2015. “This amount is going to increase further as there is continuous rise in number of vehicles on the roads and subsequent violation of traffic rules”, sources said, adding “it is a matter of concern that Police Headquarters has failed to clear the proposals despite losing such a revenue every year”.
Rubbishing the claims that hiring of cranes is preventing the Traffic Police from the headache of maintenance and manpower, sources said, “if Traffic Police can ensure maintenance of huge number of vehicles at the disposal of its officers and officials what could be the problem in ensuring maintenance of 8 to 10 cranes”, adding “similarly, there cannot be any problem in sparing few drivers for cranes from huge number of manpower already at the disposal of Traffic Police”.
When contacted, Inspector General of Traffic Police, Shafkat Watali said, “this is not a closed chapter and the matter will be discussed with the Director General of Police so that requirement of cranes is placed before the Purchase Committee of the department”. He, however, admitted that Traffic Police requires own fleet of cranes for being used in capital cities as well
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