Police pulled up for using CSR fund to buy vehicles

KOCHI: The state home department has pulled up the Kerala police for accepting corporate social responsibility fund without permission and using the sum to buy two vehicles for the Pink Police in Kochi. An order has been issued asking the police chief not to do so in future.

The police purchased the vehicles after the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd provided `17.56 lakh from its CSR fund. Following that, the government carried out an inquiry and sought an explanation from state police chief Anil Kant last December.

“Kant, in his two sets of explanations, said the fund was accepted and the vehicles were bought after those with the Pink Police developed technical issues. The home department accepted Kant’s explanation,” said an official. The GO, however, was issued on September 1 by Under Secretary Aji Kumar.

“Strict direction is being issued that CSR fund should not be accepted without permission of the government. Similarly no agreement should be made with any person or establishments outside the state government’s jurisdiction,” the order read. A police official said: “A prior sanction has to obtained to use CSR funds. The pink vehicle procuring incident happened due to a miscommunication between the police and the government.”