The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has called a crucial meeting of its empanelment committee on Wednesday to finalize the panel of candidates for the post of Haryana's Director General of Police (DGP). This development comes as the incumbent police chief, O P Singh, is set to retire from service on the same day.
Leadership Vacuum and Selection Process
Governor Bandaru Dattatreya issued the relieving orders for DGP O P Singh on Tuesday, formally setting the stage for the appointment of a new head for the state police force. The UPSC committee's meeting is a critical step in this process, as it will shortlist candidates from the names forwarded by the Haryana government.
The committee comprises key officials, including members from the UPSC, an officer from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) of the Government of India, the Haryana Chief Secretary or Additional Chief Secretary (Home), and the incumbent head of the state police force. It is expected that the state government will announce the new DGP on January 1, following the UPSC panel's recommendations.
Controversial Backdrop and Panel of Candidates
The selection process follows a period of instability in the state's top police post. O P Singh was appointed as the officiating DGP in the second week of December after the Haryana government relieved Shatrujeet Kapur of the charge. Kapur had been sent on leave about two months prior, amid controversy surrounding the death of ADGP Y Puran Kumar, who died by suicide. Kumar's final note had named Kapur and several other officers.
This context is significant because Shatrujeet Kapur was initially among a panel of five officers sent for consideration. However, the UPSC had returned that panel earlier as Kapur was on leave and the DGP post was not officially declared vacant at that time.
The current panel of four officers forwarded by the state government includes:
- S K Jain, a 1991-batch IPS officer currently serving as DGP (Human Rights).
- Ajay Singh, a 1992-batch IPS officer posted as Director General of the Haryana State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau.
- Alok Mittal, a 1993-batch IPS officer who is the Managing Director of Haryana Police Housing Corporation and also holds the additional charge of Resident Commissioner in New Delhi.
- A S Chawla, also from the 1993 batch, serving as the Director of the Haryana Police Academy (HPA) in Madhuban.
Simultaneous Retirement of Senior Bureaucrat
In a related administrative change, 1988-batch IAS officer Mohammad Akil will also retire on Wednesday, marking the superannuation of another senior official in the state administration on the same day as DGP O P Singh. This underscores a significant day of transition in Haryana's top bureaucratic and police leadership.
The outcome of the UPSC empanelment committee's deliberations is now keenly awaited, as it will determine who takes charge of the Haryana Police at a critical juncture.
