Mumbai Police can now accept donations from corporates for modernisation, welfare
Corporates with high credibility can now donate funds to a foundation set up by Mumbai Police (Representational Image. Courtesy: kolkata24x7.com)
Mumbai Police can now accept donations from corporate entities and private firms, a government resolution (GR) issued by the Maharashtra Government on Tuesday has said.
Despite being in charge of maintaining law and order in the country’s financial capital, the city police is far from being adequately funded.
The government resolution will bring in funds which will be used for the “modernisation and welfare” of police officials. It would further aid in providing better housing, health care and education to the personnel and their families.
As a part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), private firms can make donations to the foundation set up by Mumbai Police.
In August this year, Mumbai Police commissioner Datta Padsalgikar had sought the government’s permission to set up a trust on the grounds that many corporates were willing to contribute funds to the department.
The home department, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Monday gave permission for setting up Mumbai Police Foundation as a public trust. The GR, meanwhile, was issued yesterday.
Incidentally, the city police had reportedly come under fire a few years back after it was found that some of the local chowkies were constructed with the help of donors with vested interests.
The home department was therefore apprehensive about allowing the police to accept donations from private entities, fearing that they would try to influence the department.
As a result, while giving a nod to the proposal, the state government has explicitly stated that there can be no conflict of interest while collecting the donations.
It has also been specified that the donations will be accepted only from persons or organisations with “high credibility” and under the purview of the law and judiciary department.
Padsalgikar even claimed that the trust’s activities will be transparent and open for public scrutiny.
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