Retired central police officers asked to returned official vehicles, personnel

The Union home ministry has cracked the whip on

The Union home ministry has cracked the whip on security officials who have continued to use official vehicles and staff even years after their retirement.

Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi recently met the chiefs of central police organisaions and asked them to take back the official vehicles and personnel retained by retired senior officials. (Sakib Ali / HT File Photo)

Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi recently met the chiefs of central police organisations like the BSF, CRPF, ITBP, Intelligence Bureau, NIA and CISF and asked them to quickly take back the official vehicles and personnel retained by retired senior officials.

“During the meeting, BSF chief KK Sharma told Mehrishi that his force has a convention of providing a cook, orderly and a driver to the retired chiefs. But Mehrishi put his foot down and said such conventions cannot continue,” said a senior home ministry official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Sources said during the crackdown, it was found that a former CBI chief had retained around half a dozen paramilitary personnel. A former CRPF chief had not returned an official vehicle even after retirement. Even a former home secretary was found to be using the services of police personnel years after he retired.

“A former Intelligence Bureau chief had also not returned official vehicle years after retirement. The IB has deputed a senior official now to take back vehicles or staff retained by the retired personnel,” said a government source.

Following Mehrishi’s meeting with chiefs of central police organisations, the home ministry issued an advisory to chief secretaries of all states, asking them to withdraw privileges like personnel at residence, vehicles and personal security within a month after the retirement of any police official.