Litter strewn inside one of the police guest houses at Old Police Lines that was last used to accommodate cops during the National Games. In the absence of guests, stray dogs (below) are the only visitors to the premises. Pictures by Hardeep Singh

Given its empty rooms, cobwebbed walls and broken windowpanes, a first-time visitor might easily mistake the twin Jharkhand police guest houses in the capital for haunted houses.

The two guest houses, inaugurated during President’s rule last year after an investment of over Rs 2 crore ostensibly to benefit more than 70,000 junior policemen from across Jharkhand, remain unused and unattended due to lack of furnishings and water supply and power connection.

When The Telegraph paid a visit to the buildings located in old Police Lines, the only inhabitants on their premises were a few stray dogs. In the absence of any caretaker, the rooms are filled with dust while lack of water supply and power connection has rendered the taps, ceiling fans or electric bulbs useless.

General secretary of Jharkhand Police Association Chandragupta Singh revealed that the guest houses had been used once, since their inauguration. “That was during the 34th National Games when police personnel from other districts were deputed for law and order duty,” he said. The government had borne the accommodation expenses.

How were the forces accommodated? “Beds were brought in from tent houses and power connection was arranged illegally by hooking up the electric wires with overhead power lines passing through the Old Police Lines area. The policemen who stayed in the guest houses had to go out to attend nature’s calls, as the bathrooms could not be used due to lack of water supply. Besides, there was no scope of arranging for water even illegally,” he said.

Treasurer of Jharkhand Policemen Association Ranjan Kumar Singh claimed that they had repeatedly placed demands for furnishings and maintenance facilities before senior police officers and the home department, but to no avail. “Every time the officers ignored our demands, saying they were looking into the matters and would address them soon,” Singh said.

Jharkhand Police Housing Corporation, which had built the guest houses, is liable to maintain them. However, corporation chairman V.H. Deshmukh, expressed helplessness. “We have not been given any funds to maintain the buildings. It is not our duty to provide furniture and we even lack funds for the purpose.”

State police spokesperson and IG (operations) Raj Kumar Mallick admitted the pitiable condition of the shelters but promised to make them habitable by the end of 2011-12.

“Furniture will be provided to the guest houses by the end of this financial year. Besides, we will make arrangements for their upkeep. We were recently given directions by the home department in this regard,” he said.

The guesthouses were inaugurated on July 21, 2010, by one of the three advisers to then Governor M.O.H. Farook and former director-general of police, R.R. Prasad.

While a 19-room double-storey guest house worth Rs 1.10 crore was set up to accommodate assistant sub-inspectors and inspectors, the other — a triple-storey building comprising 24 rooms and worth Rs 1.5 crore — was meant for constables and havildars.

The guest houses were meant to provide safe and low-cost accommodation to cops visiting Ranchi from across Jharkhand for various reasons, including medical treatment, training and official duty. But for now, they are safe haven for stray dogs.