For citizens’ benefit: Photocopying machines for SP offices

Machines to be installed at DSP offices in second phase

LAHORE: Complainants cough up an amount to the tune of Rs1.5 million per month to get various documents needed at police stations photocopied, police officers estimate.

Operations DIG Haider Ashraf had recently convened a meeting of clerks (muharrirs) posted in police stations city-wide to get an idea of the number and cost of photocopying materials at police stations. The official said the DIG had been informed that 9,000 to 10,000 documents were photocopied at a cost of Rs1.5 million per month across the city’s 84 police stations. He said the clerks had told Ashraf that they had been bearing the cost of the photocopies themselves before confessing that they passed the burden on to complainants after being pressed by the DIG.

The official said the DIG had admonished them over the practice. He said Ashraf had told them that it was due to such antics that efforts to rehabilitate the department’s reputation were not bearing fruit.  In the wake of the revelation, the DIG has taken the initiative to install photocopy machines at divisional and circle-level offices for citizens’ benefit. The department will soon conclude a contract with a private company in this regard. Machines will be installed across offices of divisional SPs in the first phase of the initiative.

Ashraf told The Express Tribune machines would be installed soon at the offices of the Iqbal town and Model Town SPs. He said the company would provide the machines, accessories in addition to being responsible for their maintenance.

He said the company would also train police officials to effectively handle the machines. Ashraf said a feasibility report would be formulated to ascertain the average number and cost of monthly photocopies following their installation.

He said further modalities of the conference would be finalised in light of the report. The DIG said the machines would be installed across SP offices a month after the report had been formulated. He said the machines would be installed across DSP offices in the second phase of the initiative.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 12^th, 2015.