The Intelligence department is divided into several wings like Political, Student, labour wing and terror wings and is headed by one Inspector for a division in a district. The plain clothed officers should be provided with basic infrastructure like adequate money to gather information, vehicles and travel allowance to meet the expenses and gadgets to gather proof and sufficient materials, but they are denied of that too.
"Most of the work happens within our salary, while we get just 80 litres of fuel to move around, how can we work ?" questions an officer.
The State had 70 inspectors in the Intelligence wing in 2007. With the formation of new districts more inspectors have been added.
The Police officers say that to gather information one needs to talk to several people, "Though it is well known that communication is the basis for gathering information, it is the most ignored thing. With this paltry payment how can we build up sources, retain them ?" questions a police officer.
"Issues like terror needs frequent contacts with the sources. Many a times, information has its price, the Government should understand how can we pay for such information. The Intelligence department is nobody's baby now and even the best officials try to avoid the wing," says a former top official.
Even the fuel supply and the transport expenditure is meagre as only 80 litres of diesel per month is fixed for the vehicles used by the wing, while the constables have to rely on the buses with no bus fare reimbursement. "In capital like Bangalore and other major cities, the police constables are given bus pass, but it is not the same in all the districts," said an officer.
