Make retirement age 60 years, says DSPs’ plea before Ministry of Home Affairs

Although DSPs of the UT Police were brought under UPSC, their salary structure is based on the pattern of Punjab Police Service Rules, 1959, which follow the superannuation age of 58 years.

In the representation, the officers have claimed that as per a notification of Punjab government dated January 13, 1992, when a new policy for UT Police DSPs will come into effect, the previous notification will automatically supersede. The four DSPs comprise Dilsher Singh Chandel, Charanjit Singh Virk, Gurmukh Singh Saini and Nitya Nand Yadav.

One of the police officers said, “The administration is following double standards with us. On the one hand, our promotions and other aspects were governed as per UPSC but the age of our retirement was kept as per the Punjab Police Service Rules, 1959. A notification of Punjab government, dated January 13, 1992, clearly states that when a new policy will be formed for Chandigarh Police DSPs then the previous notification will be automatically superseded. And this is the case with us. The fresh policy, dated January 23, 2021, which brings us under UPSC, automatically superseded the Punjab government notification of 1992.”

Before the new Recruitment Rules, 2021, the promotions of DSPs were cleared by a promotion committee comprising Adviser, Home Secretary, DGP and finally stamped by the UT Administrator. Now UPSC chairman is the chairman of Departmental Promotion Committee.

As per new Recruitment Rules, 2021, there are 23 posts of DSPs consisting of 14 existing, seven of IRB, one ex-cadre post of OSD equivalent to DSP and one ex-cadre post of Deputy Commandant, IRB. Seventeen posts out of 23 were occupied and the rest are yet to be filled.

A source said, “A legal notice will be served to the respondent parties, which failed to respond to the representation of four officers.”

Sources said that a few DSPs of UT Police preferred to distance themselves from the representation.