Cabinet clears posting, Rajendera interim DGP
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 30: The State Cabinet today approved appointment of 1979 batch IPS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, Ashok Prasad as new Director General of Police (DGP) and, pending his joining, posted K Rajendera, the senior most IPS officer of Jammu and Kashmir cadre as interim DGP of the State in place of Kuldeep Khoda, who is retiring from the services tomorrow after heading the State police for about five years.
The Cabinet, which met at Tangdhar on the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, approved the joint proposed of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Jammu and Kashmir Government to appoint Mr Prasad, Additional Director of Intelligence Bureau (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, headquartered at Srinagar, as new DGP of the State.
However, as the services of the IB’s head in Jammu and Kashmir were yet to be placed at the disposal of the State Government due to procedural delays, the Cabinet appointed Mr Rajendera, Additional DGP Law and Order and Armed Police as interim DGP. He would take over the charge from Mr Khoda on his retirement tomorrow.
Mr Rajendera is 1984 batch IPS officer of J&K cadre and the senior most ADGP in the State.
Meanwhile, new DGP designate, Ashok Prasad told the Excelsior on telephone that his services have been posted at the disposal of IB Headquarters in New Delhi. The IB would keep his services at the disposal of Union Ministry of Home Affairs, which, in turn, would provide his services to Jammu and Kashmir Government.
In the meantime, the IB had to post a senior officer in Jammu and Kashmir in place of Mr Prasad. The new officer would be given briefing by Mr Prasad in Srinagar.
‘‘As and when these twin formalities were completed, the State Government would issue a formal order for Mr Prasad to take over as the new DGP”, sources said, adding he has being given a tenure of two to three years.
Sources said in view of procedural delay for posting services of Mr Prasad at the disposal of J&K Government by the MHA, his posting as new DGP was delayed by few days. As the IB functions under the command of the MHA, the services of IB officers were required to be posted at the disposal of the Home Ministry before sending them on deputation to the State Government for a specific term.
Mr Prasad, who would have been eligible for posting as Andhra Pradesh DGP in 2013, was chose by the MHA and State Government jointly for his posting as the new DGP. At present, there were two officers of 1977 batch of IPS in Andhra Pradesh but they would be retiring later this year after which Mr Prasad, a 1979 batch IPS officer would become the senior most. As present DGP in Andhra Pradesh in retiring next year, Mr Prasad would have been eligible for the post of DGP in his parent cadre.
Mr Prasad, who had served in Jammu and Kashmir for four years (three year as Deputy Director, Kashmir and for past one year as Additional Director Kashmir in the Intelligence Bureau), said in his perception Kashmir was not a law and order problem, which can be solved by imposing curfew or resorting to curfew, lathicharge etc but required a political solution.
“We will sit over with senior officers and plan a long term and a medium term solution. There will be a plan for next phase. There will be a plan for every problem. We will work together…a one unit and hopefully cope up with the problems”, he said.
The DGP designate said he has seen the JKP working very closely during his four year tenure in Kashmir in the Intelligence Bureau and was familiar with many senior officers. “There would be no problem in working as head of the JKP. The force would be the same. The 1.3 lakh personnel would be the same. Only the head would change”, Mr Prasad said, adding he didn’t think any one would be hostile to him excepting the Government on other side of the Line of Control.
He added that the strategies were decided and implemented by the force within the system.
He said it was not that he wanted to head the State police. “A set procedure was followed. There were three names in the panel. It was joint decision of the MHA and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to appoint me”, he added.
Mr Prasad said not only the Jammu and Kashmir Police but all police forces across the country had to be humane-be they fighting militants, Naxalites or any body else.
“Be humane, bring down violence, help start political solution, resort to minimum use of force…are the major doctrines, which had to be followed by every police force including the JKP”, he added.
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