DNA:
Mumbai: Sunday, 04 October 2015.
Just how many
police officers are occupying government-allotted houses will now be in public
domain.
In an order
that will give more transparency in the allotment and waiting list procedure in
the force, the state information commission has ordered that the list of houses
be put up on the force's website in two months.
The order was
passed by Ajitkumar Jain, information commissioner (Brihanmumbai bench) on
September 7 on an application made by Kurla resident Nishant Ghadge. Ghadge, in
his application, had sought details on the number of government flats, list of
people who have been allotted those flats, those who are yet to get and those
who have been staying there.
"Despite
repeated sloganeering by politicians, housing continues to be an issue for
policemen. The number of houses is half their strength in the force. There are
many who have not received a house for a very long time. There are times when
officers do not vacate the flats allotted to them even after the stipulated
time period is over. In such cases, those who have not received any house
continue to feel homeless. When I met an officer he told me all this and,
hence, I decided to file an RTI application," said Ghadge.
"There
are charges of bribery in allotment and no transparency. While senior officers
make sure they get their houses, the situation is the opposite for lower-rung
officers."
In the order,
the commission asked that the information be put up online under section 4 (3),
which pertains to suo motu disclosure in a way that it is easily accessible to
the public. It is also the way in which the applicant had sought details. When
contacted, Mumbai police commissioner Ahmad Javed said, "Let me peruse the
order, only then I can respond."
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