Don't use official vehicles for personal errands: says Kerala top cop's circular
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A new circular issued by Kerala police chief Anil Kant restricts official vehicles only for official use.
The most notable of the list of rules is the curb on using the official vehicles for personal errands.
The circular comes in the wake of complaints against official vehicles being used for non-official purposes.
There are 15 guidelines for the use of police vehicles; and the circular cited that vehicles were not available for official use in some stations.
The vehicle provided to each station, the circular states, is common for all officers and does not belong to the Station House Officer (SHO) or any other officials in particular.
The SHO is directed to provide the available vehicles for official purposes of Sub Inspectors, Head Constables or other police personnel and the vehicles must be made available in the stations for use, in case the SHO or Sub Inspector (Law and Order) are not having official duty, the circular added.
Further, police personnel have been urged to use public transport to travel to and fro from courts outside their respective districts.
The circular said that in case of the SHO and SI (L&O) having to travel for the same duty to the same place, one vehicle shall be used and the others should be kept for official purpose in the station.
All the station vehicles should bear the name of the station, but not the designation of the concerned officer, the circular states, adding that SHOs are given the responsibility of maintaining the vehicles.
This includes maintaining the vehicle, ensuring that no vehicle remains unused, maintenance of the vehicle diary, and ensuring that the vehicles are not misused by anybody. The SHOs will also be responsible for carrying out proper repair works and record them properly.
The circular dated June 13, 2022, has been sent to all stations and all police personnel, including senior police officers like IGs, range DIGs and DCPs, asking them to follow the guidelines.
Source: PTI, with edits