The one-month-old ‘Balance Score Card’ system, introduced to evaluate the efficiency of the Lokayukta police, has prompted the staff of the anti-corruption agency to pull up their socks, especially in the districts. In the first month of July itself, police officials - from SPs to police inspectors - have strived hard to seal maximum grade.
ADGP Lokayukta H.N.S. Rao told Deccan Chronicle that the first month’s balance score card has also given the officials tips to enhance performance. The head of the Lokayukta police wing said the idea was to increase accountability and also allow healthy competition at work. “During the mid-term career training at the Police Academy in Hyderabad and also in London, there was discussion on accountability. A system of grading work was also highlighted and thus, the score card system was introduced in the Lokayukta police. Bengaluru city Lokayukta has immense work pressure, due to the rise in number of court-referred cases and regular traps and raids. However, the district units had to be geared up and the balance score card system has allowed equitable and objective assessment", Mr Rao said.
The institution has developed software which helps decide grade based both on the raids, traps and surprise checks conducted and quality of investigation and public opinion about the official. The Lokayukta police wing has 22 SPs, 39 DySPs and 80 police inspectors across the state. The DySPs and police inspectors are the regular investigating officers while sometimes, SPs also conduct investigations in some cases, apart from supervision. Mr Rao said that action taken on each complaint and knowledge of modern gadgets gets more grades, apart from frequent surprise checks. He also said that officials against whom repeated complaints are lodged will be expatriated from the institution.
“The point is proportionate to work, but the officials will have to collect a lot of source information and ensure completion of investigation in time to secure good grades. The officials will also have to fill in columns like inquiry result, number of visits to taluks, number of awareness campaigns held. We have also fixed the target of three months for completing trap case investigations and one year for completion of raid ”, he said.