Police reforms must to target corruption: Yashovardhan Azad

Blaming the political class for stymieing police reforms, CIC Information Commissioner Yashovardhan Azad on Friday said targeting corruption in the police force was indispensable to counter overall corruption.

Addressing the Transparency International India's National Conference here on 'Combating Corruption', the Central Information Commission official also called for targeting corruption in the medical sector in a big way.

"Police reforms are languishing, so many reforms, so many recommendations have come but time and again they have been stymied by various forces.

"It is unfortunate that 17 states, despite a Supreme Court order, have diluted the guidelines. The rest have passed executive orders," said Azad referring to the non-implementation of the recommendations made by National Police Commission.

"No political or bureaucratic executive in the state wants to let go of the police. Police is a tool an iron grip which is to be used by them," said the former Indian Police Service officer.

"An inadequately equipped police with poor leaders and with poor infrastructure can only respond with shortcuts.

"This is an area which should first be targeted for eradication of corruption. There are anti-corruption units in the state but how much they are independent is a moot question, when they are totally controlled by the executive," he said.

Azad said corruption needs to be targeted in a big way in the medical sector.

"This is an area which needs to be tackled on a war footing.

"The National Medical bill is on the anvil, it is required from civil society groups, NGOs and other stakeholders to give a robust discussion and come up with suggestions that might be included in the bill," he added.

--IANS

and/lok/dg