NEW DELHI:
The Delhi High Court has ordered the Centre, Delhi police and Delhi government to respond to a petition claiming that over 53,000 Delhi police officers were “fraudulently” drawing cycle maintenance allowance in the guise of using cycles.
A Bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad granted six weeks’ time to submit the replies and posted the petition for further hearing on September 20.
The High Court’s direction came on a petition by Sanser Pal Singh, a lawyer himself, seeking direction to conduct an enquiry in relation to the cycle maintenance being drawn by more than 53,000 Delhi police officials.
Mr. Singh said he came to know, from some persons known to him, that an allowance of ₹180 was being paid to Delhi police officials in the name of cycle maintenance allowances. The officers were also allegedly availing travelling allowances.
Mr. Singh stated that as per Right to Information replies received from the authorities, 53,000 Delhi police officers are drawing a total amount of ₹96 lakh per month or ₹11.52 crore per annum in the name of cycle maintenance allowance.
The petitioner also said that he had made written complaints to the authorities but no action was taken on his complaints. He urged the court to issue direction for taking stern departmental action against the Delhi police officers.
“Allowances like cycle maintenance are paid to government officials from the hard-earned money of the tax payer,” the plea filed through advocate Yogesh Swaroop stated.
