The Hindu: New Delhi: Friday, May
20, 2016.
Helpline was
launched in March 2014 to fight corruption in the police; only 8 cases
registered since.
To publicise
the anti-corruption vigilance helpline numbers meant to check corruption by its
men, the Delhi Police has been spending an average of Rs. 1.5 lakh daily for
the past two years.
However, it
has only eight cases and six arrests to show for all that publicity so far,
reveals an RTI reply.
Between March
2014, when the four-digit anti-corruption helpline was launched, and this
April, the police have spent nearly Rs. 12 crore in radio and newspapers ads to
make people aware about it as well as the WhatsApp helpline number 9910641064
launched a few months later.
These
helpline numbers were launched with great fanfare and were touted to be one of
the most effective tools in the hands of the common man to fight corruption in
the police.
Ad blitz
Of the Rs.
11.77 crore spent, the major share went into radio ads costing the public
exchequer Rs. 10.65 crore. A relatively smaller but significant amount, Rs.
1.12 crore, was spent on publishing advertisements.
The reply
states that periodic data of these advertisements or the money spent on them
was not available. Hence neither the RTI reply nor independent queries made by
The Hindu could establish whether this entire chunk was spent for the initial
promotion or the advertisements have been a recurring feature. But if the RTI
figures are to be believed, that publicity has not translated into more
policemen facing legal action.
Little to
show for it
“A total of eight cases under Prevention of
Corruption Act have been registered in the vigilance Branch police station on
the basis of information received through Anti-Corruption helpline,” reads the
reply.
It further
notes that based on these complaints only six policemen have been arrested so
far.
The numbers
also show a declining trend in the numbers of calls received on the helpline.
Compared to 109 calls made in the quarter ending June 2014 i.e. the initial
days after its launch, only 30 were received in the one ending April 2016.
RTI activist
Sudhir Yadav who sought the data sees these numbers as the helpline not being
publicised enough despite the humongous spending. He asked why despite bribes
being demanded from the common man on a daily basis, why were so few cases
registered against the cops and wondered if the publicity money was
extravagant.
Responding to
the RTI numbers, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Vigilance) R.K. Jha did not
comment on the specifics but said it was not possible to have a case registered
each day. Another officer said the declining number was a positive sign,
showing that the presence of the helpline numbers itself was deterrent enough
for cops to stay away from making such demands.
Amount spent
on publicity has not translated into more cops facing legal action.
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