New Delhi, April 15: Congress chief ministers Monday welcomed the recommendations of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) for cvhanges in police set-ups while those from the opposition disagreed with it.
The chief ministers were speaking at a conference called by Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde here.
"I complement the ARC for bringing together specific recommendations," said Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
Noting that Haryana had set up a state police board and a police complaints authority as suggested by the ARC, Hooda said he has attempted separating criminal investigation from law and order by setting up an independent state crime branch.
Himachal Pradesh's Minister for Social Justice Dhani Ram Shandil, who represented Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, sought special assistance from the central government to improve the police force and help it deal with drug trafficking in the hill state.
The opposition ruled states expressed their reservations on the ARC recommendations.
While Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that the recommendations were against the principles of federalism, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said that the government was treating the balance of power between the centre and states lackadaisically.
"These recommendations are against the principles of federalism," said Nitish Kumar.
"The balance of power between centre and states has been treated lackadaisically by the government," said Jayalalithaa.
Both did not attend the meeting.
According to the Nitish Kumar, it would be a serious anomaly if the police hierarchy is controlled in its daily functioning by a plethora of authorities, as suggested by the ARC.
According to Jayalalithaa, the proposal of creating a separate crime investigation wing with exclusive staff was a remedy worse than the malady.
She also opposed deployment of central forces during a law and order situation.
