Srinagar, July 21: With the civil and police administration caught in a catch-22 situation because of the prevailing unrest in the Valley, several police officers Wednesday said the “senior and competent cops” in the department were “deliberately sidelined and not given a chance to handle the situation.”
A group of police officers told Greater Kashmir that ‘non-professional’ cops were preferred over professionals to deal with the situation. “It is not true that police officers are evading sensitive postings. The problem is that the senior police officers, who have served the Valley during worst of the crisis situations, are not given a chance to handle the present crisis. It seems that they are deliberately ignored because the state doesn’t want to engage professionals for varied reasons,” said the officers, who requested not to be named.
“From 1990 to 1996, we have worked during volatile situations and brought the same under control. Today the situation is not that volatile, yet successive governments have ignored us and those officers working for the Special Operations Group, created after 1996, are being posted at sensitive places, where there is public dealing. And when they make the situation worse, we are being called in to manage the resultant crisis.”
The officers, who approached Greater Kashmir, said the ignored police officers had proved their mettle on several occasions in the past. “Why is the government not giving a chance to those who know tricks of the trade well? Before posting a police officer in any district, it is important that his credentials, experience and track record are thoroughly examined. If you prefer an incompetent officer to handle such situations, it is bound to create discontent within the department, resulting in shirking any sensitive responsibility,” the senior police officers said.
Recently, a senior police officer from south Kashmir was transferred barely few days after he was posted there. His transfer came immediately after the Islamabad killings took place. Sources said before the officer could explain his position, he was shifted out of the district.
Among other officials posted in Srinagar, the Senior Superintendent of Police, Javaid Reyaz Bedar, was transferred immediately after the recurring killings took place in the city.  On the contrary, serial killings took place in north Kashmir’s Sopur town, yet no action against the police officials in Sopur was taken. “Interestingly, even after replacing the police officers in Srinagar, the killings didn’t stop. Three killings took place in the city since then,” the aggrieved police officers said.
“The present government is making postings on the basis of influence and proximity of a particular officer with the power corridors. You can’t work like this. You can’t be selective while posting police officers. And then age should be no bar in posting a police officer to a sensitive place. You just need to see his experience and intelligence. That is it,” the officers said.
The police officers alleged that scores of non-IPS officers were working against the cadre posts in violation of rules. “If the system has to work, you need to encourage professionalism and follow the rules in letter and spirit. If you don’t give competent officer a chance to handle districts like Srinagar, Varmul or Islamabad, you are bound to face the prolonged crisis in absence of professionalism and skilled training. But when you don’t want to handle the problem, then government should not pass the buck and say police officers are evading sensitive postings,” the officer said.
When contacted, the Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Farooq Ahmad, refused to comment on the issue. “I won’t be able to comment on the issue,” he told Greater Kashmir.
The Director General of Police, Kuldeep Khoda, and Chief Secretary, SS Kapoor, didn’t pick up the phone.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 21 Jul 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 21 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 IST