Govt approves financial powers for SHOs
PHOTO: FILE
The government of Punjab has approved a proposal to give the powers of drawing and disbursing funds to police station house officers (SHOs).
The decision was taken in a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Legislative Business chaired by Law Minister Basharat Raja on Tuesday.
Following the proposal of giving the drawing and disbursing powers to the SHOs, creation of 720 new posts of accountants in BS 14 was also approved.
Former inspector general of police Inam Ghani had initiated the move to empower the post of SHOs. He had forwarded the proposal to the government in September.
While speaking at a police darbar in Gujranwala, he had said that in order to change the culture of the police station and promote public-centric policing, it was necessary for the officers and personnel to perform their duties impartially, free from any external pressure. “For this we are going to give DDO powers to SHOs in Punjab.”
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This was not the first time a move for separate budgetary allocations for police stations was made. Among others, former DIG Operations Lahore Haider Ashraf also proposed the allocation of funds on a monthly basis to police stations.
An SHO told The Express Tribune that a police station needed funds for its day to day working like maintenance, repair, utilities, drinking water, cleanliness, renovation, among other services.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 10th, 2021.