Cops mull punitive tax on factionists

K Veerabhadra Rao / TNN / Nov 4, 2008, 02:26 IST

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In what could be a first-of-its-kind in independent India, the police are mulling imposing a punitive tax on factionists -- which was in vogue during the British raj in the Rayalaseema region.

KURNOOL: In what could be a first-of-its-kind in independent India, the police are mulling imposing a punitive tax on factionists -- which was in vogue during the British raj in the Rayalaseema region -- keeping in view the failure of their efforts to curb the menace in the most backward region. The move has become all the more necessary as the elections are round the corner, say officials.
The punitive tax would be imposed on the factionists of a particular village to be spent on maintaining law and order.Six villages have been identified in the faction-ridden districts of Kurnool, Kadapa and Anantapur where the tax regime would come into effect on a trial basis if the authorities approve of it.
All the villages have permanent police outposts as they are most vulnerable to faction feuds. One of them is in Lingala mandal of the Pulivendula constituency being represented by chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. "Once the punitive tax is imposed, the outposts would be called "punitive outposts" since money for the expenditure of the outpost, including the salaries of police personnel, would be collected from the factionists facing criminal charges," a police official told `TOI.'
The villages are: Prasannayipalli in Rapthadu mandal, Garjanapalli of Bathalapalli mandal, Kalluru of Yellanuru and Velamarla of Tadipatri mandal in Anantapur district, Kappatralla of Devanakonda in Kurnool district and Gunkanapalli in Kadapa district, the CM's home turf.

The notorious Kappatralla village is the first one to be identified as the `fit case' for imposition of the new tax. Twelve people, including a police constable and a bank employee, besides 10 factionists, were murdered in the last few months near Kappatralla. Major among them was the brutal killing of TDP leader and factionist P Venkatappa Naidu, who had been on the rivals' radar a dozen times before.
Over 50 people of the village were killed in the last three decades. According to district SP N Madhusudhan Reddy, a proposal has been sent to the DGP to impose a tax of Rs 1.7 lakh per month towards the expenses of 13 cops manning the police outpost. "Initially, the amount will be divided between the factionists of the Congress and TDP," a police official said.
Twenty four factionists have been identified from the TDP, while 36 belong to the Congress. "If the Telugu Desam factionists possess equal extent of land, 50 per cent of the tax (Rs 85,000) would be imposed on them," the official said.
Sources said though the police do not have any specific information as to how the Britishers collected the punitive tax from factionists, the Police Act of 1861 has come in handy to impose such a tax. "Only with stern actions, would these factionists mend their ways," said a DSP rank police officer. He alleged that successive governments have been supporting factionists for their political survival.

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