Delhi Police officials get Rs 180 monthly cycle allowance, spend more: HC told

Constables and head constables of the Delhi Police are paid Rs 180 per month for using and maintaining cycles but they are spending much more on conveyance as they ride motorcycles, the city police on Tuesday informed the Delhi High Court.

The counsel for the Delhi Police sought time to modify the document which grants cycle allowance to constables and head constables.

A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad granted eight weeks to the Delhi Police to modify the order and listed the matter for further hearing on January 24, 2023.

The high court was hearing a petition which alleged that more than 53,000 police officials here are fraudulently drawing allowance for using cycles.

The plea has sought an inquiry concerning the police officials, claiming “cycle (maintenance) allowance”, in addition to a travelling allowance, in the “guise of using cycles” even when they are not using that mode of transportation.

As the petitioner advocate said police officials were not using bicycles but still claiming the allowance, the chief justice shot back, “You are roaming around in cars and if a police constable is using a bicycle, you are having a problem with it”.

The counsel for the Delhi Police showed certain documents to the bench that constables and head constables are paid Rs 180 per month for using and maintaining cycles and the fact is that they are spending much more as they ride motorcycles.

The public interest litigation by lawyer Sanser Pal Singh stated that a public servant drawing an allowance, which he does not deserve, is a form of corruption as payments are made from the hard-earned money of taxpayers.

The petitioner said that an allowance of Rs 180 in the name of “cycle (maintenance) allowance” is paid to Delhi Police officials and lakhs of rupees are drawn annually under that head.

“The petitioner received replies against his application under Right to Information Act 2005 filed to the Public Information Officer, office of respondent no. 3 and as per those replies, more than 53,000 Delhi Police officials are drawing the amount of Rs 96 lakh per month or Rs 11.52 crore per annum in the name of cycle (maintenance) allowance,” the petition said.

The petitioner said he made written complaints to the authorities but no action was taken on it.

The high court had earlier granted time to the counsel for the Centre and Delhi Police to seek instructions in the matter.