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Chandigarh SSP’s wings clipped, can no longer pick personnel
DGP had transferred authority to DIG and SSP (Headquarters), both AGMUT-cadre IPS officers, days before appointment of Punjab-cadre officer Kanwardeep Kaur as Chandigarh SSP
In a surprising move, the Chandigarh director general of police (DGP) has divested the senior superintendent of police (SSP) of the authority to appoint police personnel and handed the powers to the DIG and the SSP (Headquarters), sparking off yet another cadre war.
The decision by DGP Praveer Ranjan came just a few days before the appointment of Punjab-cadre IPS officer Kanwardeep Kaur as the new Chandigarh SSP.
Kaur, the second female Chandigarh SSP after Nilambari Vijay Jagdale (2017-2020), took charge of the post on Thursday. A 2013-batch IPS officer, she will be in Chandigarh on a three-year deputation.
Citing Section 12.1 of the Punjab Police Rules, the DGP’s order, issued on March 3, stated that the power of appointments of inspectors will be delegated to DIG (Headquarters), while the power of appointments of constables, head constables, assistant sub-inspectors and sub-inspectors will remain with the SP/SSP (Headquarters).
Both posts are traditionally filled by AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory)-cadre IPS officers, while that of the SSP by a Punjab-cadre officer, the appointing authority for all these positions so far.
“Consequent upon the DGP’s order, the SSP will no longer have the power to appoint or transfer SHOs or police post in-charges,” shared a senior police official.
Notably, the Chandigarh SSP already does not have the charge of crime branch, a specialised cell for investigation. The charge was handed over to AGMUT-cadre officers during the tenure of SSP Nilambari Jagdale.
The DGP did not respond to HT’s calls and messages.
Punjab powers diluted again?
The order comes despite Punjab’s concerns on multiple occasions regarding attempts to dilute the state’s claim over its capital.
Notably, similar orders, taking away the powers of the Chandigarh SSP, were also issued on March 30, 2021, but were withdrawn the very next day after objections by the then SSP, Kuldeep Singh Chahal, a Punjab-cadre officer.
When Chahal was repatriated unceremoniously in December 2022 and the SSP’s charge was given to SSP (Traffic), a Haryana-cadre officer, Punjab had objected to it, saying, “This move is unwanted and undesirable as it will disturb the balance among the states in running the affairs of Chandigarh.”
The Chandigarh SSP is conventionally a Punjab-cadre IPS officer, while the SSP (Traffic) is from the Haryana cadre. The DGP, IG and DIG are appointed from the AGMUT cadre.
Similar apprehensions were also expressed by Haryana, when the UT administration in May 2022 took away the charge of SSP (Security) from Haryana-cadre IPS officer Manisha Choudhary, the SSP (Traffic), and gave it to an AGMUT-cadre officer. Haryana had also termed it “dilution of powers of its officers”.
In 2018, the ministry of home affairs had announced the merger of Chandigarh-cadre DSPs with the DANIPS (Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli police services) cadre. However, due to opposition from Punjab it had to be put on hold.
Of the total sanctioned posts of DSPs in Chandigarh, 11 are from Chandigarh Police Service and 10 from DANIPS. No officer of the rank of DSP is from Punjab or Haryana.
Even the Chandigarh-cadre DSPs have all along been claiming that their number is being gradually reduced, with more and more DANIPS-cadre officers being brought in. Punjab has also been flagging this issue every now and then.
