Govt set to promote 115 police officials as SPs

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 18: The Government today set a major exercise into motion for promotion of 115 police officials as Superintendents of Police (SPs) by identifying vacancies and studying all legal implications involved in the matter. It hoped to complete the exercise very shortly.
The Departmental Promotion Committee (DPCs) met for more than three hours to take up the issue of promotion of both direct appointees and promotees of 2001 batch DySPs as SPs.
The DPC comprised Home Secretary Suresh Kumar, Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Prasad, Additional DGP Prisons Department K Rajendera Kumar, Additional Secretary (Home) and AIG Personnel.
Prior to this, the DPC for senior officers comprising Chief Secretary Mohammad Iqbal Khandey, the Home Secretary and the DGP met in the Civil Secretariat and cleared proforma promotion of SR Samuel, an IPS officer of 1999 batch as DIG. It also approved the Selection Grade for 2011 batch IPS officer Udhay Bhaskar Billa, presently posted as SDPO Gandhi Nagar.
The DPC had earlier cleared three IPS officers of 1999 batch for promotion from SSP to DIG. They included Anand Jain, Nitish Kumar and Ashkoor Wani. The promotion of SSP Traffic Manmohan Singh was kept pending due to an inquiry of 1999 during his posting as SP Kupwara. Similarly, the promotion of Mr Samuel had also been kept pending.
However, the DPC today cleared the promotion of Mr Samuel as DIG. He would get proforma promotion as he was on deputation.
With the promotion of Mr Samuel, four officers of 1999 batch have become DIGs. They included Anand Jain, SSP Baramulla, SR Samuel, Nitish Kumar and Ashkoor Wani.
While Mr Samuel and Nitish Kumar are already on Central deputation, Mr Jain is proceeding on Central deputation in the next few days. Mr Wani was posted as DIG Doda-Ramban range in the recent Cabinet meeting.
With this, six IPS officers of 1999 batch officers were left for promotion from SSP to DIG. They are Ali Mohammad, SSP Vigilance Organisation, Kashmir, Vijay Singh Samyal, Commandant IRP, JL Sharma, SSP CID (Special Branch) Jammu, Bashir Ahmed Itoo, SP Railways, Srinagar, Israr Khan, SSP Samba and Nissar Ahmed, SSP Crime Branch, Jammu.
Meanwhile, the second DPC today discussed vacancies and other formalities including the legal ones for granting selection grade to about 115 DySPs of 2001 batch (both direct recruits and promotees) making them eligible for their promotion as SPs.
Sources said the DPC has identified 44 vacancies of Additional SPs in Armed Police, 30 in Indian Reserve Police (IRP), 13 against State deputation posts with different agencies like National Investigating Agency (NIA), State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) and Passport officer, 15 upgradation of posts. Rest of the vacancies included leave reserve.
“There was no problem of 110 to 115 vacancies. However, we wanted to take all pros and cons into account before initiating such a major exercise to ensure that there was no legal hurdle as even a single left out official could mar promotional prospectus of 115 officials’’, sources said, adding that the promotions could take few days as the DPC wanted to be sure from all angles that they wouldn’t be challenged by anyone.
They pointed out that there had also been some court directions for promotion of 2001 batch DySPs as Additional SPs.
The DPC would first grant them Selection Grade, which would make them eligible for promotions.
Sources said majority of work for promotion of about 115 DySPs as SPs has been done. “Only little work was left that would be completed in the next few days after which the promotion order would be issued’’, they added.
The DPC has obtained legal opinion also in the case, sources said and added that this would be for the first time when 115 DySPs would be promoted as SPs in one go.
“This would not only boost the morale of police officers but also generate promotion avenues for subordinate staff including the Inspectors as 115 posts of DySPs would fall vacant after the promotions’’, sources said.