Jaipur, May 27: A tug- of- war for power is on in Rajasthan. The battle royale is a result of the administration of the Rajasthan police insisting on magisterial powers in the proposed police commissionerate system.
The state’s IAS officers, understandably, are not amused at the prospect of their IPS counterparts taking over their powers.
Top cops have told the Ashok Gehlot government that it was necessary to delegate magisterial powers to the police if it wanted the new system to be effective. Other cities like Mumbai and Delhi, which follow the system, have delegated magisterial powers to the police.
Gehlot, in his recent budget speech, had proposed instituting the police commissionerate system in Jaipur and Jodhpur, to begin with. The government contemplates introducing the new system at the earliest — if possible by July.
The difference of opinion emerged during a high- level meeting held in the presence of home minister Shanti Dhariwal on Monday. Those present included principal secretary home Pradeep Sen and DGP Harish Chandra Meena.
While the IAS lobby opposed whittling down the powers of the district collectors, IPS officers insisted on taking over the law and order system, including magisterial powers.
Dhariwal said both sides argued for maximum powers.
The home minister would brief the CM for a final decision after knowing the views of chief secretary T. Srinivasan.
—Agencies