The Hindu : DGP faulted on tear gas shells purchase

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 26, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

DGP faulted on tear gas shells purchase

By T.S.Ranganna

Bangalore May 25. The Police Department purchased 14,630 tear smoke ammunition shells (electrical), commonly called tear gas shells, but not one of them was used within the shelf life period as they were procured ahead of the purchase of arms and hence were of no use to the force.

According to sources, the Director-General and Inspector General of Police (DG and IGP) in 1999 procured the shells from the Central Workshop and Stores (CWS), Border Security Force, Tekampur. The shells were manufactured between October 1998 and February 1999 and had a shelf life of three years.

As the shells could not be fired without a multi barrel launcher (MBL) fitted with a firing switch board, the DGP purchased 30 MBLs with a firing switch board in May 2000 and another 25 MBLs and 55 firing switch boards in June 2001 at a cost of Rs. 28.16 lakh.

These MBLs along with the shells, the sources said, were distributed between July and November 2001when the shelf life of 2,510 shells had expired, and 12,120 of them were left with a shelf life between one and three months only.

Not even a single shell was used within its shelf life period. Thus, the sources pointed out, the purchase of the shells much before the MBLs were bought was an injudicious decision. It resulted in a wasteful expenditure of Rs. 69.07 lakh.

In another case, the Government approved purchase of 440 anti-riot guns and 1,000 grenade fire rifles from the CWS at a cost of Rs. 13.75 lakh. The CWS supplied these guns and rifles to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bangalore, in 2000. He distributed them to various unit offices the next year. But these guns had no utility without plastic pellets, grenades, and ballistic ammunitions.

The DGP in his reply to queries from the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (Civil) last year said that while the sanction of the Government for procuring ballistic ammunition was pending since 2001 January, the Union Home Ministry had not provided plastic pellets and grenades even after an indent was placed in February 2001.

The CAG said that the DGP had not furnished any reasons for the delay in seeking sanction from the State Government or for placing indents. Thus, he said, the procurement of guns and rifles without the ammunition was unjustified. In a glaring mistake, the DGP, the CAG said, failed to deduct the sales tax at source to the tune of Rs. 63.88 lakh when the department purchased supplies aggregating Rs. 17.18 crore during 1998-2001.

According to Section 199 AA of the Karnataka Sales Tax Act 1957, sales tax at four per cent of the value of the supply was to be remitted directly to the Commercial Tax authorities.

The payment of sales tax directly to the firms was irregular, the CAG said.

The DGP, in his reply, stated that the correct procedure was being followed from August 2001.

There was failure in complying with the provisions of the Act during the period and undue favour was shown to the suppliers denying the Government a revenue of Rs. 63.88 lakh, the CAG said.

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DGP faulted on tear gas shells purchase