States planning to seek review of SC directions on police reforms

New Delhi, Nov 14 (UNI) Even though states and Union Territories agree on the need for police reforms to make it a more effective and responsive force, they are likely to appeal the Supreme Court for review of its directions regarding political insulation of the law implementing agencty.

The Chief Secretaries and Director Generals of Police of states met here today under the chairmanship of Home Secretary V K Duggal and deliberated on the various recommendations of the Soli Sorabjee Committee on amending about 145-year-old Indian Police Act to make the police force more accountable, efficient, effective and people friendly.

They were unanimous on the need for police reforms and lauded the work done by the Committee in such a short duration.

However, the focus of discussion was on the Supreme Court direction of September 22 this year, which has asked the Centre and states to set up national and state Security Commissions to select and appoint personnel and to ensure complete autonomy in police administration.

The apex court had given a series of directions on a petition seeking implementation of the reports of various Police Commissions and directed the states to implement them by December 31, 2006.

''There was a broad consensus at the meeting in favour of urgent need for police reforms. The states were more or less unanimous on the need for police reforms urgently to make police accountable and efficient,'' Home Ministry sources said.

However, on the implementation status of the Supreme Court directions regarding insulating the force from political interference by giving senior police officials fixed tenure of two years, many states felt that the executive's power were being curtailed and infringed.

They are likely to appeal the Supreme Court to review its directions partially as it was disturbing the balance of Executive power under the constitution.

One view was that by fixing the tenure of the police officials and divesting the state of the power to transfer or punish them may result in some of the officials misusing their power while state government would be forced to remain a mute spectator. But the state government would ultimately remain responsible for maintaining law and order and could be dismissed on the basis of breakdown of law and order machinery under the constitution.

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