Chandigarh cops sore over MHA notification on deputation postings

The notification allocates 17 posts of DSPs to Chandigarh police, which earlier has 23 posts of DSP-rank officers, out of 533 posts, which include the officers of other UTs, including Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu, Dadar and Nagar Haveli.

As many as six posts out of 23 were already given to DANIPS cadre officers, who came here on deputation for three years. DIG (UT) O P Mishra said, “The notification was issued by MHA and it has been implemented from today. A draft of the notification was sent to MHA, which demanded the suggestions on it from all the stakeholders dates back to April, 2018. Now, DSP-rank officers of Chandigarh police will be considered under National Capital Territory of Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu, Dadar and Nagar Haveli and Chandigarh (Police Services) Rules, 2018.”

Meanwhile, the notification is a setback for Chandigarh police personnel, who had been locked in a long legal battle with DANIPS cadre police officers, who are serving in Chandigarh police on deputation. A few Chandigarh police personnel challenged the deputation posting of DANIPS officers in Chandigarh and the matter is still pending in Punjab and Haryana high court.

A copy of the notification was sent to Chandigarh administration. Meanwhile, the notification has triggered resentment among Chandigarh police personnel, including inspector-rank and DSP-rank officers. Some of them have decided to challenge the notification in the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT).

An inspector-rank officer said, “The notification is not clear about promotion criteria. Earlier, only Chandigarh police inspectors were considered for promotion to the rank of DSPs but not it appears that seniority of an eligible inspector for promotion will be considered with seniority list of inspectors of other UTs, including Delhi, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu, Dadar and Nagar Haveli.”

A 1995-batch officer of inspector rank said, “The notification is not clear on all aspects.  There is no clarity in deciding the seniority of inspectors for the rank of promotion to DSP rank. In Chandigarh, the direct recruitment starts from the rank of ASI and in Delhi police, which is part of DANIPS cadre, a man gets recruited in the rank of sub-inspector. It means I will be automatically junior to a policeman of Delhi police. And in this situation, if Chandigarh police is merged in the DANIPS cadre, how can I get the benefit of promotion to the rank of DSP?”

A DSP-rank officer of Chandigarh police said, “As per the deputation and transfer policies of DANIPS cadre, officers who are coming from Delhi Police to Chandigarh are being given facility to retain their government accommodation in Delhi. But on whether this facility will also be given to us… there is nothing mentioned about it in the notification. Moreover, it is the right of every government officer, who is in a transferable job, to come back to his parent cadre within two years of his retirement.”