Punjab police has started charging “facilitation Charges” from the people is a hash over step, which has no place in a welfare state. Almost a year ago, when SAD-BJP government came into being, the police top brass introduced quietly the charge. This was called back when media reported about the same and a lawyer moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the charges. The proposed list of the charges for services provided is long: People will have to pay Rs 100.00 for verification of Passport, no- objection certified copies for stolen or recovered vehicles, registration of vehicles, and to provide certified copies of documents. The charge for issuing a cop of an FIR is Rs 50. For character certificate verification, permission for exhibitions and fairs, verification of strangers, tenants and servants, renewal and “other services” the charges are Rs 200 each. Verification of arms license will cost Rs. 500. The proposed cost of getting a NOC from police for petrol pump, marriage palace or a hotel is Rs 1000. This concept of police charging money for service provided is borrowed from outside India as there are some countries where “user charges” are charged by police for services provided. The New South Wales, for example has a system of cost recovery, but only in case of police services at special events, transport escorts, control of traffic for films shoots etc. However, the other services are provided free of charge to the common public. The same concept proposed to be applied in Punjab has no basis. For example, the police charging Rs 50 for a copy of FIR is all rubbish as it is something that is intrinsic to their basic job. Likewise police providing NOC for marriage palaces, hotels and petrol pumps makes no sense. The question here is what role police has to play in this? Had it been a certificate form municipal authorities, town planning officials or even the pollution official, it is still understandable. This ritual of police collecting facilitation charges is also fraught with danger because of corruption having seeped down the rank and file. The policing by the community has a long history in this country, for example thikri pehras in villages. For years in order to certify a copy of document we either paid the requisite fee to notary (who incidentally is legally qualified). If we have to pay the police for the same [...]
Archive for May 15th, 2008
Posted in 
PRADHAN MANTRI GRAM SADAK YOJANA
May 15th, 2008 
krishna There are a few still alive, who are as old as independent India. Some of them had not even seen a Bus. These villagers drove into 21st century in 2004 when their village was connected to the rural road network under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). This is the story of many of India’s 600000 villages where modern life has changed nay, arrived at humble homes. This PMGSY is not an outcome of intellectual discussions or any policy blabber. It was in October 1999 when Nitin Gadkari, a BJP leader called up the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It is heard that Mr. Vajpayee asked this Maharashtra MP if there is an over bridge of flyover to connect Bharat with India. Upon this Gadkari shared his experience of connecting 16000 villages including 100 adivasi villages in Melghat in Maharashtra. Since Gadkari had an experience of the construction of India’s most modern Six-lane expressway between Mumbai and Pune, under his belt, he knew the maths. Vajpayee advised Gadkari to head the National Rural Road Development Committee (NRRDC) and it happened for the first time in the history of India a former state minister was advising the Center. It was this committee which found that 75% of the Indian population lives in 5.89 lakh villages of varying sizes scattered across 3.29 million sq.kms. its findings suggested that every day, 300 pregnant women died as they were not able to reach a health care center in time, Lakhs of children could not reach school during rains and rural incomes gone for toss because agricultural produce could not reach its final markets and perished. Most of this was known but not in such shocking details. Vajpayee did not wait for any more debates or discussions. He right away kicked off the program. By charging a cess from diesel users to fund network expansion, the modality of a simple funding mechanism, the scheme was launched. In the first phase the NDA government decided to connect villages with 1000 as population (500 in hills, tribal and desert area). With construction of 3,68,000 kms of new roads and upgrading 3,70,000 kms the project required more than 100,000 crore for which instruments like banking and other agencies were roped in to fill the gaps in funding.
