Extremely high rate of transfer of UP police officers revealed by RTI
13 Apr, 2013The reply to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act has revealed that in Uttar Pradesh, an officer of provincial police service (PPS) is transferred on an average every two and a half months.
The 723 page information sent in the reply by the Inspector General of Police (Administration) states that a total of 917 PPS officers are there in UP which form the second rung after IPS. Out of these, 203 are additional superintendents of police (ASPs) and 714 are deputy superintendents of police (DSPs). The reply shows that 171 ASP rank officers got transferred in 2011, while 307 were transferred in 2012 and among DSP rank officers 458 were transferred in 2011 while 892 were transferred in 2012 thus making a total of 1828 transfers in two years.
The reply also showed that on four occasions, over 100 officers were transferred by a single government order and while more than 50 officers were transferred by a single order on three occasions. It has been alleged that most of the transfers are done on the recommendation of politicians which has been a major source of corruption and failure of law and order in the state. For reforms in the police service, a stable tenure has been recommended by many commissions in the past.