Chandigarh police failed to recover Rs 9 crore poll deployment cost: Report

Amit Sharma

Chandigarh, June 10

Inspection report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for 2019-2023 has revealed that the UT Police Department has not recovered Rs 9.78 crore, which it spent on the deployment of police personnel during elections in states during that period.

A review of the records showed that the department had sent armed police and Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) personnel for election duties 12 times during these years.

Rs 4.11 cr outstanding against banks

The report indicates that between 2019 and 2023, the Police Department provided security to various banks in the city without receiving full payment in advance, contrary to the rules. A review of the records revealed that Rs 4.11 crore is outstanding towards the banks.

Five companies, comprising 351 IRB personnel, were sent on election duty for 56 days to Uttar Pradesh in 2019 at an expenditure of Rs 3.88 crore. The same year, 311 personnel were sent to Haryana for 19 days at a cost of Rs 1.05 crore. Three companies, comprising 181 personnel, were sent to Gujarat for 19 days in 2022, which cost the department Rs 64.75 lakh.

In 2023, police force was deployed in Karnataka, Tripura, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh on election duty incurring a total expenditure of Rs 2.12 crore.

The report further highlights the non-compliance with orders regarding the payment of honorariums to police personnel. It states that from 2019 to 2023, the department sent 39 companies, comprising 12 gazetted officers, 266 Inspectors, SIs, ASIs and 2,336 Head Constables and Constables on election duties. Honorarium totalling Rs 69.14 lakh is due to these personnel, which was to be claimed from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The amount was neither paid to the personnel nor claimed from the MHA, which is in contravention of the rules.