PESHAWAR, Oct 17: NWFP Chief Secretary Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi has taken serious notice of a sudden increase in theft of official vehicles and directed the quarters concerned to take effective steps to check the crime.

In a letter addressed to the administrative heads, DG Audit, the heads of attached departments and DCOs on Tuesday, he said that there had been a rise in such incidents, particularly in evenings when officers themselves drive official vehicles to and from shopping areas in contravention of the NWFP Government Staff Vehicles Rules, 1997. The latter says that primary reason for this violation of rules by government officials is lack of fear of retribution.

Inquiries into loss of government property due to such incidents take a long time. Inquiry officers are usually from the same department; they are also usually junior to the accused, due to which inquiries are not fair.

The letter further says that police authorities do not take interest in tracing out stolen official vehicles and the audit authorities do not usually fulfil requirement of law. Keeping in view the rise in the incidents, the existing procedures are strictly reinforced to check this phenomenon.

The chief secretary has directed that in all such cases, FIR should be registered with the police and incident reported to the government, within minimum possible time, but not later than twenty four hours after the incident.

The process of initiating and finalising inquiries, the letter says should be completed and recommendations submitted within 30 days to the government. Inquiry officers, it says, should be appointed by the Establishment Department after approval of the Chief Secretary.

In the conduct of inquiry, the letter says, the inquiry officers should give due consideration to vehicles being stolen after duty hours, in absence of drivers and from public places.

The letter says that police should maintain separate data of stolen official vehicles and the audit authorities should strictly ensure that in all such cases the government departments have properly and timely followed rules and regulations, inquiries conducted and recoveries made for loss to government property.