The decision by the Home Department to transfer Assistant Inspector General (A), Gabriel K. Iangrai even though the enquiry team has recommended action against him and other officials allegedly involved in the police vehicle scam has raised eyebrows among the rank and file in the Police Department.
The Home Department yesterday carried out a major reshuffle in the Police Department. According to an order issued, Iangrai has been transferred and posted as Commandant, SF-10. Assistant Inspector General (Establishment), Sacheng R. Marak will take over as the Assistant Inspector General (A) in place of Iangrai.
“Instead of merely transferring him, the authorities should have ordered departmental proceedings against him and other officials involved in these serious irregularities. Even the enquiry report has also recommended action against all those named in the report,” a police official said on condition of anonymity.
It may be mentioned that a high level enquiry ordered by Director General of Police Lajja Ram Bishnoi has unearthed several irregularities in the purchase and allotment of Police Department vehicles by Iangrai including misuse of fuel. The inquiry also found that a total of 29 vehicles were in his “personal custody” and that he used the vehicles for personal purposes.
The enquiry headed by Additional Inspector General of Police (Law and Order), Mukesh Kumar Singh has recommended that departmental enquiry should be constituted against all erring officials to fix the responsibilities for all the lapses that have occurred.
It also recommended the setting up of a high-level fact-finding enquiry to go into the details of the entire scam, since the present enquiry report may not reflect the entire magnitude of the scam.
It also proposed that a comprehensive standard operating procedure (SOP) should be prepared for procurement of vehicles, handing over, taking over and also that records be maintained at more than one place for cross verification.
“Prima facie, it has to be acknowledged and accepted that record keeping in the department is very poor and as such there is a need for proper overhauling of the mechanism of record keeping. Considering these loopholes, this leads to mismanagement and various malpractices as manifested in this instant case,” the enquiry report said.
It also said that the Central Workshop of the Police Department at Bishnupur here which caters to all units of Meghalaya Police should be placed directly under the supervision of an officer not below the rank of the DIG.
The enquiry team also recommended keeping in place a proper mechanism for expediting the condemnation process of vehicles.
It also said that capacity building of the existing manpower at Central Workshop and identifying new talents from different units should be done so that they can cater to minor repairs at their respective units.
Further, the enquiry team proposed for streamlining of the entry and exit register needs to be done so that there is a proper record of vehicles kept at the Central Workshop. It also said that the security of Central Workshop, needs to be reviewed and an SOP should be issued in this regard.
