Allahabad High Court has made strict comments regarding Uttar Pradesh Police and the administrative system of the state. The High Court said that police officers in Uttar Pradesh seem to be loyal to the government rather than the Constitution. This has been seen happening on many occasions. The court said that the same is happening in transfers, postings and promotions also. A police officer who is loyal to the government easily gets all this.
The High Court said that the culture of political patronage is very deep in Uttar Pradesh. The administrative system of the state has been vulnerable to political interference during the rule of many successive governments. The court said that appointments, transfers and promotions of officers in the state are often decided on the basis of political loyalty rather than merit. While merit should have been given preference for this, it is not happening.
The single bench of Justice Vinod Diwakar made this comment during the hearing of a case registered under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986. The court said in its decision that the political and bureaucratic system of Uttar Pradesh has been influenced by the feudal mentality for a long time, due to which constitutional governance has at times become a medium of personal influence and control rather than public service.
Officers adapt themselves to political masters
The High Court said that in the state, favored officers are posted in important districts and urban commissionerates, while officers having an independent attitude are sent to unimportant posts. The court said that due to this system of transfer-posting, many officers adapt their conduct to the expectations of their political masters.
Questions raised on the functioning of the Home Department
Allahabad High Court has also raised questions on the Home Department of Uttar Pradesh. Besides, its functioning has also been criticized. The court said that the Home Department is also not doing its work properly. Despite some officers holding important posts like Home Secretary, many did not appear impartial. Many times he acted under the influence of personal or external interests rather than taking impartial administrative decisions. On this, the court advised the state government to conduct an independent assessment of the efficiency and suitability of the officers working in the Home Department, so that institutional accountability can be fixed.
Vikas Dubey incident was mentioned
Not only this, the High Court also mentioned the Bikru incident (Vikas Dubey incident) of Kanpur. In which the police team that had gone to arrest notorious criminal Vikas Dubey was attacked and eight policemen including a DSP were killed. The court said that despite such a serious administrative failure, the officer concerned was let off only after giving a formal warning. The court said that such leniency promotes a culture of institutional impunity, which weakens accountability.
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