The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has formally initiated the process of appointing a regular DGP for Punjab by asking the state govt to send the list of eligible officers to it for consideration by its empanelment committee.
The UPSC sent its communication to the Punjab Chief Secretary in this regard on February 18, asking for the complete proposal within ten days in compliance with the Supreme Court’s February 5 order.
The latest UPSC move follows a direction by the Supreme Court on Feb 5 to play a proactive role in ensuring that a regular DGP is appointed in every state. The apex court had slammed the practice of some states having acting DGPs and directed the UPSC to act against the states that delay the process of appointing a regular DGP.
According to the rules, the UPSC empanelment committee is supposed to shortlist three DGP-rank officers based on seniority, experience, and service records, following which the state govt will choose one of them as the regular DGP. Punjab currently has an army of 17 DGP-rank officers.
The empanelment committee consists of the UPSC Chairman or a member acting as chairman, the Union Home Secretary or his nominee (not below the rank of Special Secretary to the Union govt), the head of the Central Police Organisation nominated by the MHA who is not from the same state cadre for which the selection is to be made, the Chief Secretary of the concerned state, and the DGP of that state.
The Bhagwant Mann government in the state had appointed Gaurav Yadav (IPS:1992:PB) as an acting DGP in July 2022, superseding several senior officers. He has been holding the post for over three years and seven months now.
The UPSC, in its letter to the Punjab Chief Secretary, has also referred to the Supreme Court’s Feb 5 directions, its 2006 judgment in the Prakash Singh case, and SC orders dated July 3, 2018, to direct the Punjab govt to send the complete proposal.
The state’s Home Department has since asked the office of the DGP to send a panel of eligible officers since it has “records of the officers.”
The two senior-most IPS officers who belong to the 1989 batch are Sanjeev Kalra and Parag Jain. Kalra is likely out of contention, as he is retiring on February 28, and Jain, who is currently serving as RAW chief on central deputation, is unlikely to return to the state.
Besides, there are four 1992-batch IPS officers, including the acting DGP. The other three DGP-rank officers are Sharad Satya Chauhan, Harpreet Singh Sidhu, and Kuldeep Singh. Despite the initial controversy over his appointment, Yadav remains a frontrunner for the permanent post.
It is noteworthy here that the Punjab Assembly had passed the Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill 2023 for selecting the DGP by its own seven-member empanelment committee. But the bill is said to be lying with the President after being referred by the Governor.
The UPSC’s letter does not forget to remind the Punjab govt about the apex court’s warning that if the states fail to submit timely proposals, the commission is authorised to move an application before it for enforcement with “necessary consequences” for those responsible for the delay.
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