While the National Police Commission (NPC) has been re-established as the Independent Police Commission (IPC), informed sources said that the IPC is not positioned to take any authoritative decisions in the course of its functions.
These sources added that the IPC has become a toothless commission as it has not been mandated to grant promotions to police officers or effect transfers while the NPC, as it had functioned in the past, was empowered to carry out transfers of OICs and HQIs, grant promotions, order suspensions and inquire into complaints received against police officers. Since the NPC has been rendered powerless for the past three years the Ministry of Defence and the State Services Commission have taken over the functions of the NPC.
Informed sources also said that at present all that the IPC does is to forward all complaints received against the police force to IGP N.K. Illangakoon.
However, in contrast, the IPC incurs high expenses notwithstanding the fact that it hardly plays a proactive role, spending around Rs 500,000 per month on rent, and electricity and water usage on the premises it occupies at Rotunda Towers, Colombo 3.
Employees who spoke to LAKBIMAnEWS on condition of anonymity averred that the IPC has become a yet another white elephant of the government.
Our efforts to contact IPC chairman, Senaka Walgampaya, PC, over the past few days to seek his views, proved futile
By Gayan Kumara Weerasingha
LB
These sources added that the IPC has become a toothless commission as it has not been mandated to grant promotions to police officers or effect transfers while the NPC, as it had functioned in the past, was empowered to carry out transfers of OICs and HQIs, grant promotions, order suspensions and inquire into complaints received against police officers. Since the NPC has been rendered powerless for the past three years the Ministry of Defence and the State Services Commission have taken over the functions of the NPC.
Informed sources also said that at present all that the IPC does is to forward all complaints received against the police force to IGP N.K. Illangakoon.
However, in contrast, the IPC incurs high expenses notwithstanding the fact that it hardly plays a proactive role, spending around Rs 500,000 per month on rent, and electricity and water usage on the premises it occupies at Rotunda Towers, Colombo 3.
Employees who spoke to LAKBIMAnEWS on condition of anonymity averred that the IPC has become a yet another white elephant of the government.
Our efforts to contact IPC chairman, Senaka Walgampaya, PC, over the past few days to seek his views, proved futile
By Gayan Kumara Weerasingha
LB