Kolkata, 21January (H.S.) : The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has issued strict directions to the West Bengal government regarding the appointment of a permanent Director General of Police (DGP), setting a clear timeline for the completion of the process. The Principal Bench of the CAT on Wednesday ordered the state government to forward its proposal for the DGP appointment to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) within 48 hours, by January 23.

Hearing a petition filed by IPS officer Rajesh Kumar, the tribunal observed that the state government cannot deny a qualified IPS officer consideration for the post of DGP. CAT further directed that upon receipt of the proposal, the UPSC must convene its empanelment committee by January 28 to prepare a panel of eligible officers and forward the panel to the state government by January 29.

Rajesh Kumar, a 1990-batch IPS officer, is currently serving as Principal Secretary of the state’s Mass Education Extension and Library Services Department and is due to retire in the coming days. In his petition, he claimed that despite fulfilling all eligibility criteria for the DGP post, he had been unfairly overlooked. Agreeing with the contention, the tribunal stated that discrimination against any eligible officer is impermissible.

The issue of appointing a permanent DGP has gained urgency as the incumbent acting DGP, Rajeev Kumar, is scheduled to retire on January 31. The matter had been pending for some time, particularly after the UPSC returned the panel of officers earlier submitted by the state government, citing procedural lapses.

According to the UPSC, the panel should have been sent at least three months prior to the retirement of the previous permanent DGP. Former DGP Manoj Malviya retired in December 2023, which the commission treated as the “date of vacancy.” Under the rules, the panel should have been forwarded by September 2023. However, the state government sent the proposal on December 27, leading the UPSC to return it.

As per CAT’s latest order, the West Bengal government must resubmit the proposal for empanelment for the DGP post to the UPSC by January 23, either via email or through a special messenger. The UPSC is then required to hold a meeting of its empanelment committee by January 28 and send the finalized panel to the state government by January 29. The tribunal also directed the state to take an appropriate decision on the DGP appointment expeditiously after receiving the panel.

The matter is scheduled for further hearing on March 11.

Under established procedure, the state government forwards a list of senior IPS officers to the UPSC, which then prepares a panel of three names. The state selects one officer from this panel for appointment as permanent DGP. The empanelment committee includes the Union Home Secretary or a nominee, a Director General of a central armed police force, a UPSC representative, the concerned state’s Chief Secretary, and the outgoing permanent DGP.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh