New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday ordered
chief secretaries of four states to personally appear before
it on December 6 and explain their respective states' failure
in implementing its September 2006 ruling on police reforms.
A bench of Chief Justice S H Kapadia summoned chief
secretaries of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra and
Karnataka after perusing reports of Justice Thomas committee
constituted by it earlier to oversee the implementation of its
ruling.
"Why are you dragging feet on its implementation?" the
bench, also comprising Justice K.S. Radhakrihsnan and Justice
Swatanter Kumar, asked the states' counsel.
The bench also noted that the four states have also been
loath to file their affidavits on the status of implementation
of the crucial ruling in their respective territories.
The apex court had on September 22, 2006, issued a series
of directions aimed at reforming police functioning in the
country on a petition filed by former Uttar Pradesh Director
General of Police Prakash Singh.
The apex court had, among other things, given
directions on police reforms included those for establishment
of one State Security Commission to lay down the broad
policies regarding policing and evaluate the performance of
the police force in UTs and states.
The apex court had also asked the states for setting
up Police Establishment Boards (PEB) in each state and union
territories to decide all transfers, postings, promotions and
all service related matters for the officers up to the rank
deputy superintendent of police.
The apex court had also decided to accord fixed tenure
of two year all key police functionaries.
The court had also issued directions to separate the law
and order maintenance wing of the police from its
investigation wing.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, November 09, 2010, 00:04