8 cops owe govt Rs65 lakh for overstaying in official houses

Sumedha Sharma

Tribune News Service

Gurgaon, December 21

Eight Haryana police officers are in the dock for retaining official accommodation beyond the three-month stipulated time following transfer.

The erring policemen include IPS and HPS officers such as former commissioner KK Sindhu, Joint Commissioner Maheshwar Dayal, HPS Hawa Singh, DCP Vikas Kumar Arora, Vikas Dhankhar, former ACP (Traffic) Vishnu Dayal, ACP (Crime) Rajesh Phogat and ACP Virender Singh, according to a notice issued by the DCP Headquarters.

The department has asked the officers to evacuate the residences and pay penal rent totaling nearly Rs 65 lakh. Some of the officers were transferred more than a year-and-a-half ago (see box).

While ex-police commissioner KK Sindhu has to pay more than Rs 28 lakh, Hawa Singh will have to cough up Rs 7 lakh while ex-joint commissioner Maheshwar Dayal will be charged Rs 10 lakh.

As per norms, penal rent is calculated at twice the market rent to disincentivise employees from occupying government property and denying another eligible employee the right to occupy a government house.

Market rent may be determined by a committee consisting of the chief engineer (buildings) among others. It may be revised on year-on-year basis thereafter.

This rent can be charged if the officer stays in his official residence more than three months after his transfer. Nearly 50 more personnel — majority of them inspectors and crime unit cops – are next in the line of fire.