MHA approved J&K, Ladakh DPC to meet on Feb 9
Six already in place as DGPs, 13 as ADGPs
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 7: Joint Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) of the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will meet here on February 9 to take up promotion of 17 Indian Police Services (IPS) officers including two in the rank of Director Generals of Police (DGPs), four Additional DGPs and five Inspector Generals of Police (IGPs) among others.
The DPC meeting will be chaired by Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta and will be held at 4 pm on February 9 to take up the promotions which have become due, official sources told the Excelsior.
Members of the Committee, which has been constituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh Affairs, include Umang Narula, Advisor to Lt Governor of Ladakh, Shaleen Kabra, Principal Secretary Home Department J&K, Secretary Home Department Ladakh, Director General of Police (DGP) J&K Dilbag Singh and Additional Director General of Police (Head of the Police Force), Ladakh S S Khandarey.
Sources said that two Additional DGPs, whose names have been proposed for promotion as DGPs in the proposal finalized by the Police Headquarters, are Hemant Kumar Lohia and Pankaj Saxena.
Both of them are IPS officers of 1992 batch of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir cadre. Only today the Central Government extended deputation of Lohia up to Nov 29, 2023.
While Lohia is presently on deputation to the Border Security Force (BSF), Saxena is on Central deputation.
Four Inspector Generals of Police, whose promotion to the rank of Additional DGP has been mooted, include Viplav Kumar Choudhary, presently on deputation with the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Garib Dass, IGP Headquarters, Vijay Kumar, IGP Kashmir Zone and Alok Kumar, IGP Crime Investigation Vigilance (CIV) Police Headquarters.
All of them are Direct Recruits of 1997 batch of the IPS.
The Police Headquarters has also proposed promotion of five DIGs as IGPs.
They include Uttam Chand, who is on deputation with the Government of India where he is posted as Deputy Secretary Cabinet Secretariat, Vidhi Kumar Birdi, who is on deputation to the NIA, Keshav Ram, who too is on deputation and posted in the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI), Atul Kumar Goel, DlG CID and State Investigation Agency (SIA) Jammu and Bhim Sen Tuti, who is on Study Leave to United Kingdom.
Uttam Chand is Regular Recruit of 2002 batch, Birdi and Keshav Ram are Direct Recruits of 2003 batch while Goel and Tuti, also Direct Recruits, belonged to 2004 batch of IPS cadre.
Three IPS officers of 2008 batch are tipped for promotion as DIGs though they are already officiating in the same rank in view of shortage of police officers.
They are Tejinder Singh, who is on deputation with the NlA, Abdul Jabbar, DIG South Kashmir Range Anantnag and Udaybhaskar Billa, DIG North Kashmir Range Baramulla.
Selection Grade of IPS has been proposed in favour of three IPS officers of 2009 batch on completion of 13 years of qualifying service.
They include lmtiaz Ismail Parray, SSP Crime Branch Kashmir, Shailendra Rajesh Mishra and Rahul Malik, both of whom are on Central deputation and posted in the NIA and MHA respectively.
Sources said there are four sanctioned posts of DGPs (two cadre and two ex-cadre) but against them, six officers are already in position though two on Central deputation. Now, two officers in the rank of Additional DGPs are proposed for promotion as DGPs.
As far as the promotion of four IGPs as Additional DGPs is concerned, sources said there are eight sanctioned posts of ADGPs but against them, 13 officers are working in the same rank though four of them are on deputation.
Regarding the promotion of five DIGs as IGPs , sources pointed out that there are 21 sanctioned posts of IGPs (12 cadre and nine ex-cadre) but only eight officers are in position while four others are on deputation.
However, the Police Department has 11 vacancies in the rank of DIGs and has proposed confirmation/promotion of three officers of 2008 batch as DIGs as they have completed 14 years of qualifying service.
Sources said the Police Department has obtained Vigilance clearance in favour of all officers tipped for promotion.