Crimes in Odisha did not come down despite more funds: Draft CAG report

Odisha received ₹135.32 crore between 2016 and 2019 under the centrally-sponsored sub-scheme modernisation of police forces and spent ₹80 crore.

Rate of crime in Odisha did not go down despite “persistent flow of funds” from the Centre to modernise the police forces, a draft report of Comptroller and Auditor General has said.

Rate of crime in Odisha did not go down despite “persistent flow of funds” from the Centre to modernise the police forces.(Shutterstock Photo/Representational Image)

Odisha received ₹135.32 crore between 2016 and 2019 under the centrally-sponsored sub-scheme modernisation of police forces and spent ₹80 crore.

“The efficiency of police is adjudged from the incidence of crime and its detection as well as combat ability of forces to fight back and restore the normalcy. But the analysis indicates that the law and order position has not improved in the state despite the persistent flow of funds under Modernisation of Police Forces and from other sources,” the CAG draft report said.

“This is a matter of concern and needs to be focussed on by the government,” it said.

The draft report, a copy of which is available with HT, said of the 10 categories of crime between 2016 and 2018, there was an upward trend in at least seven including rape, rioting and murder. Cases of murder rose from 1,328 in 2016 to 1378 in 2018 and those of rapes were up from 2,144 in 2016 to 2,502 in 2018. Cases of rioting rose by 10.76% during the same period.

Only dacoity, burglary and swindling came down by 1.41%, 7.27% and 12.6% in 2016, 2017 and 2018 respectively.

The report noted the rise in total registered cases was 3.67% but that the crime detection rate was not very encouraging. It was 66.9%, 67.4% and 64.6% in 2016, 2017 and 2018 respectively. In theft and burglary, the detection rate was under 50% over the years.

Started in 2000-01, the sub-scheme of modernisation of the state police force is now funded at the ratio of 60:40. The objective of the scheme is to make the states self-sufficient in controlling internal security and law and order situations by equipping their police forces adequately through the development of infrastructure.

Under the scheme, modern technology like closed-circuit television or CCTV cameras and aerial surveillance, command control centre and fusion centre and equipment, as well as adequate mobility, are provided to the police forces to reduce the crime rate in the state.

Odisha’s director general of police (DGP) RP Sharma said he cannot comment on the draft report because he has not seen it.

Senior Congress party leader Narasingha Mishra said he would not comment on the draft CAG report till the final report is submitted in the assembly, but added that the law and order situation in the state was going from bad to worse.

“Last week, when there was a discussion about law and order situation, the CM (chief minister Naveen Patnaik) had dismissed my concerns saying it is not alarming,” Mishra said.

“The Supreme Court in its recent PIL on that rape of minors, said in the last six months, 1,005 children in Odisha have been sexually assaulted. If the increase in rape cases is not alarming then what is?” Mishra asked.

National Crime Records Bureau data shows the conviction rate in Odisha stood at 10.4% in 2016, the second-lowest among all states. While 37,549 cases went to trial, only 3,907 ended in conviction. Only West Bengal was worse than Odisha with a 10.1% conviction rate.

In case of crimes against women, Odisha has a just 6% conviction rate against an all-India average of 19%.