Madras HC orders DGP to identify illegal occupants in quarters

Chennai: Observing that police quarters are allotted based on favouritism and nepotism, the Madras high court has directed the DGP to constitute a team of officials to conduct inspections and enquiry and identify and collect particulars of all illegal and irregular occupants in the police quarters and accordingly issue show cause notice to them to vacate their quarters within 60 days.

Justice S.M. Subramaniam further said in the event of not vacating the premises within 60 days, then, all suitable actions are directed to be initiated to vacate the premises and take possession of the same for the purpose of providing allotment to the serving personnel, who all are waiting in the order of seniority.

  The judge directed the DGP to open up an official website for the purpose of submitting application for allotment of police quarters by the police personnel through online. The website was directed to be opened within two weeks. The seniority of the applications was directed to be maintained date wise, cadre/class wise, with reference to the eligibility of the type of quarters to be allotted to the police personnel, the judge added.

The judge said in respect of applications, to be submitted from the date of the order of this court, the application details, eligibility criteria, type of quarters, allotments made, details of the allottees and all required particulars were to be made available in the official website of the police department in order to maintain transparency in actions. “On receipt of any complaint regarding the illegal or irregular allotments or occupations, all necessary actions are directed to be initiated within 30 days from the date of receipt of such complaints”, the judge added.

 The judge said violations in following the rules for allotment of police quarters were to be viewed seriously and all suitable disciplinary proceedings were to be initiated against the erring officials of the police department. “The DGP is directed to monitor the implementation of the directions of this court in order to maintain clean, transparent and efficient public administration”, the judge added.

 The judge gave the directives while disposing of a petition from M.Ragupathy, a policeman, which sought a direction to the DGP to consider his representation and allot the police quarter at Chintadripet based on his service and his HRA.

According to petitioner, he was allotted quarters in Thiruvotriyur in 2003 when he was in Vigilance and Anti-Corruption department and thereafter transferred to Egmore police station. He applied for the change of quarters nearby Egmore area. However, his application for change of quarters was not considered. There was an absolute misuse of police quarters by many police officers and the police personnel, who had been removed from service were still using the quarters and many police officers currently in service have not been allotted with quarters because of non-availability, he alleged.