In an extraordinary move, the Rajasthan government has restrained five of its IPS officers from going on central deputation by refusing No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to them. The state govt has cited a shortage of experienced IPS officers in the state as a reason behind this refusal of NOC. As a result, all the five officers, including two senior officers like Dinesh MN (IPS:1995:RJ) and Biju George Joseph (IPS:1995:RJ), will now not be able to join central government on deputation.
While Dinesh M N is currently serving as ADG in Anti-Terrorist Squad, Biju George Joseph is posted as ADG, Karmik (Personnel).
Biju George Joseph previously served as Jaipur Police Commissioner, and the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) had approved his empanelment for the DG rank in June this year, along with 33 officers from across the country. Despite this, he continues to serve as ADG, Personnel.
Similarly, his batchmate, Dinesh MN, previously served as ADG of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), and was empanelled for central deputation at the rank of Additional ADG or equivalent posts.
Both the officers have been denied NOC by the state govt to go on central deputation.
The remaining three are relatively junior officers. They are Dharmendra Singh (IPS:2014:RJ), currently serving as Chittorgarh SP; Sudhir Choudhary (IPS:2015:RJ), currently serving as Alwar SP; and Abhijeet Singh (IPS:2012:RJ), currently posted as DIG of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force.
According to sources in the state Personnel Department, permission will be granted only if the Centre makes a special request calling an officer on deputation. So far, the Central Government has made no such request.
It is significant to mention here that 26 IPS officers are already on central deputation and the state govt is facing a shortage of senior and experienced officers. Govt sources indicate that the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) is against sending its officers on central deputation for the time being.
The state is already facing a shortage of around 20 to 22 IPS officers, as against its total sanctioned strength of 222 IPS post, around 208 to 214 officers are in service presently. However, this figure changes from time to time because of promotions and new appointments.
Significantly, it is not an unprecedented development, as the state govt has denied permission to its civil servants for going on central deputation in past as well. In 2019, the Congress govt under Ashok Gehlot had also stopped IAS officers from joining the central govt on deputation, citing a shortage of senior officers.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) had requested the Gehlot government to send IAS officers on deputation, but it refused.
According to the rules, the central govt can take any officer on deputation even if the concerned state govt disagrees or does not give its consent within the prescribed time limit.
As per Rule 6 of the Indian Police Service (Cadre) Rules, 1954, the Union Govt can take an IPS officer on deputation with the consent of the state government. But state’s consent is not mandatory, as the rule also states that if the state govt disagrees, the final decision rests with the Centre.
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