SLAMS HOME DEPARTMENT, STATE POLICE
CAG came down hard on the state home department and Haryana police for non-implementation of the upgradation project of police control room for five years despite availability of funds.
In its report, CAG said the PCR Modernisation and Upgradation Project, whose aim was to integrate all Haryana Police control rooms, kept languishing for five years due to failure of the department to accurately assess technical requirements, select a competent agency and the lack of coordination with the police department and the Hartron, the implementing agency. As a result, government funds to the tune ₹3.5 crore sanctioned for the project remained blocked. Proposal for PCR upgradation was submitted to Hartron in September 2011 for acquisition of equipment and the government sanction for the money followed soon thereafter. Hartron sent a draft request for proposal to the police department for concurrence, but was cancelled as the latter changed requirements. RFP was revised and sent again to the DGP in October 2012. Bids were invited, but no final decision was taken.
“Hartron returned the indent after 21 months to the police department to handle the project on its own as it had no domain expertise to handle such a huge turnkey technical project. The police department requested it to reconsider its decision, authorising them to take the assistance of professional experts. However, the proposal of hiring expert from market was not approved by the DGP,” the report said.
Instead, the DGP asked them to send a committee to adjoining states for a study, but no action was taken and the funds kept lying with Hartron unutilised. The audit report has pointed out that the DGP had submitted utilisation certificate of funds to the Centre in May 2013, though no expenditure was incurred. While Hartron was required to pay interest at the rate of 6% per annual on half-yearly basis to the Home department on the unutilised funds, neither the corporation paid nor was the interest demanded by the department. The department suffered a loss of interest of ₹1 crore. HTC