Kerala Police officers siphon off crores from Secret Service Fund
KOZHIKODE: Given the secrecy in its definition itself, crores of rupees under the Secret Service Fund (SSF), allocated to the Kerala Police, are being siphoned off by police officers though they are actual meant for gathering intelligence inputs and information by rewarding sources.
The department took a serious note of the issue after the activities of a top police officer, who misappropriated large amounts under SSF, came under the scanner recently.
A senior police officer revealed to ‘Express’ large-scale misappropriation of SSF is taking place in the Police Department. “A top police officer recently came under surveillance after a complaint was lodged against him by the officer’s subordinate who submitted the officer was forging documents and coercing to manipulate records to siphon off the SSF,” the officer said.
Though a high-level inquiry was conducted into the incident, the details have been kept strictly confidential in the police headquarters. The SSF is earmarked in the annual state budget under various sub-heads for police agencies to meet the expenses required to collect information and cultivate sources at various levels.
As per an order issued by the Finance Department on February 13, 2017, under the title ‘Budget Estimates 2016-17 – Demand No. XII- Police – Reappropriation of Funds Under the Major Head(S) of Account 2055 – Police- Sanctioned-Orders Issued,’ the allocation for Secret Service Fund was increased to `3.5 crore from ``1 crore. On the allegations of SSF misappropriation, State Police Chief Loknath Behera told ‘Express’ the department had initiated measures to streamline proper utilisation of SSF.
“We will ensure the SSF is utilised for the purpose meant for it,” he said.
As per the documents with ‘Express,’ in 2009 itself, the Finance Department had directed all the officers concerned to strictly comply with rules while utilising the fund. A circular issued by the Finance wing stated: “Some departments in the state are authorised to incur expenditure on ‘secret services’, which does not come under scrutiny by the audit authority. It is governed by the ‘Rules for administration, supervision and control of secret service expenses’ as laid down in appendix 6 of the Kerala Financial Code Vol-II.
The government feels the above mentioned rules are not being followed properly by some of the officers dealing with secret service expenditure.”
According to Police Department sources, “currently the department has no idea how the money is being spent. Some vouchers are raised to show expenditure, but the accounts department is not able to track the money. Generally, officers make a note saying the amount was used to pay a source,” the sources said.