MHA places service at disposal of State Govt
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 27: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has placed the services of Ashok Prasad, a 1979 batch IPS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, presently posted as Additional Director of Intelligence Bureau (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, at the disposal of State Government for posting as new Director General of Police (DGP) in place of Kuldeep Khoda, who is retiring from the services on May 31.
The new DGP would most likely take the charge on June 1 in Srinagar, the summer capital of the State, where Mr Prasad is headquartered at present.
Official sources told the Excelsior that out of a panel of three senior IPS officers prepared by the MHA for posting as new DGP of the State on retirement of Mr Khoda, the name of Mr Prasad has been cleared for the prestigious post. A formal order of the posting of Mr Prasad as new DGP of sensitive Jammu and Kashmir State could be issued by the Government on May 30 or 31 to facilitate his joining on June 1.
He was posted in J&K as Additional Director, Intelligence Bureau, for the past over one year. He had earlier also served in Jammu and Kashmir as Deputy Director of Intelligence Bureau, Srinagar when the militancy was at its peak and, therefore, was well versed with aspects of militancy and other issues faced by the State.
The post of Joint Director, Intelligence Bureau in Government of India for Srinagar, had been upgraded to the rank of Additional Director before the joining of Ashok Prasad.
A native of Bihar, Mr Prasad was among few top ranking officers of Intelligence Bureau after premier agency’s Director, Nehchal Sandhu, a 1974 batch IPS officer, the same that of Mr Khoda. However, Mr Sandhu’s has protected tenure of two years till December 31, 2012.
Mr Prasad has services till January 2016. He is a Post Graduate (MA Hindi) and winner of President’s Medal in 1999.
Sources said the Ministry of Home Affairs has finally conveyed to the State Government the name of Ashok Prasad for posting as new DGP in the State. The MHA had on April 22 submitted a panel of three senior IPS officers to the J&K Government for consideration for the post of DGP on the retirement of Mr Khoda on May 31 after a tenure of more than five years.
Two other names in the panel included Arun Chowdhary, a 1977 batch IPS officer of Bihar cadre and PM Nair, a 1978 batch IPS officer of the same cadre.
Mr Chowdhary was presently posted as Special Director General of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Incharge Airports Security. He has also services in Jammu and Kashmir as Deputy Director and Joint Director of Intelligence Bureau in Jammu and Kashmir.
Mr Nair, Special Director General (Operations) of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), having headquarters at New Delhi, had also served in the State as IG CRPF Jammu in 2005-2006.
Last year, Mr Nair had been nominated for his appointment as DGP IN Naxalite infested Jharkhand but was dropped at the eleventh hour.
Sources said the Additional Directors of Intelligence Bureau are equivalent to the rank of DGPs of the States and, therefore, qualified for heading the post of State police chiefs.
According to sources, the name of Ashok Prasad was preferred over two other nominees of MHA and Jammu and Kashmir cadre IPS officers in view of his experience for his twice posting in Jammu and Kashmir especially in Srinagar—first as Deputy Director of Intelligence Bureau in Srinagar followed by Additional Director, Intelligence Bureau, J&K.
Mr Khoda was 1974 batch IPS officer of Jammu and Kashmir cadre while Mr Prasad is 1977 batch IPS officer of Bihar cadre.
After Mr Khoda, two senior most IPS officers in Jammu and Kashmir were that of 1984 batch. They included K Rajendera, Additional DGP Law and Order and Armed and Pitambar Lal Gupta, Vigilance Commissioner. Mr Rajendera has services till 2016 and Mr Gupta till 2015. Mr Prasad also has services till January 2016.
After Mr Rajendera and Mr Gupta, there were three IPS officers of 1985 batch in Jammu and Kashmir cadre. They are—Ram Lubaya, Additional DG Security, SK Mishra, who was presently on deputation with the Border Security Force (BSF) and S Gopal Reddy, who was on deputation to Andhra Pradesh. All of them were in the rank of Additional DGPs.
Mr Lubaya is due to retire next year while Mr Reddy has services till 2016 and Mr Mishra till 2019.
Three remaining Additional DGPs in Jammu and Kashmir are from 1986 batch from J&K cadre including Dr Shesh Pal Vaid, Additional DGP Headquarters, Ms D R Doley, Additional DGP Home Guards and Civil Defence and Naveen Aggarwal, Additional DG Prisons Department.
Dr Vaid has services till 2019 while Ms Doley and Mr Aggarwal have services till 2021.
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