The Hynñiewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) has sought clarification from the State government on the transfer and posting tenure of police personnel in the Home (Police) Department.
In a letter to Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong today, the HITO said that the transfer and posting policy currently implemented by Home (Police) Department is in contradiction to the Transfer Act (Meghalaya Police Act 2010) since there were police officers who continued to serve in the same district for more than 15 years against the mandated minimum tenure of two years.
“An RTI query dated September 20, 2022 was filed by our organisation but was met with unsatisfactory replies with regards to the transfer of police personnel and officers. The reply to the RTI query exposed the intention to cover up the glaring lapses,” HITO said.
It also said that the Home (Police) Department had failed to enforce and implement Section 12 the Meghalaya Police Act 2010 which clearly mentioned a two-year tenure for key police functionaries such as Director General of Police, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), Inspectors General of Police, Deputy Inspectors General of Police (Range), Superintendents of Police, Sub-Divisional Police Officers, Circle Inspectors or Officers-in-Charge of Police Stations.
According to HITO, there are many officials presently in the Home (Police) Department who are serving more than the minimum tenure of two years in violation of the Meghalaya Police Act 2010 leading to serious conflict of interest.
“We strongly urge that this matter be addressed as we find some selected favourite officials who are in the same post for more than 15 years by being transferred from units to intra-units only in Shillong City and East Khasi Hills District and not to other districts,” the HITO added.
“We strongly urge your government to respond to our queries as to why some officers in the Home (Police) Department have been in the same district for more than 15 years through the misleading process of intra unit transfer within the same district only,” HITO said in its letter to Tynsong.
It also demanded that action be taken in accordance with the law at the earliest so as to ensure fair and transparent police administration.
