E-Paper
Punjab govt plans to amend police Act for appointment of DGP
According to information gathered from various sources in the Punjab government, the law department, in consultation with the home affairs department, is vetting amendments after weighing various options before the state, especially keeping in mind the present practice of appointment of DGP through Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) as per the Supreme Court judgment.
The state government is mulling to bring a “key” amendment in Punjab Police Act-2007 relating to the appointment of director general of police (DGP), in the upcoming Vidhan Sabha session scheduled on June 19-20.
According to information gathered from various sources in the state government, the law department, in consultation with the home affairs department, is vetting amendments after weighing various options before the state, especially keeping in mind the present practice of appointment of DGP through Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) as per the Supreme Court judgment.
The information regarding the amendments has been kept completely confidential even as a senior official of the government confirmed that deliberations are on over this issue.
Despite contacting several officials involved in the task, clarity on the exact details and motive behind the amendment could not be ascertained.
The deliberations come at a time when the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has been lagging in recommending a panel of officers to the UPSC for the DGP’s post, resulting in the state continuing with Gaurav Yadav as the acting DGP for 11 months now.
Yadav had replaced Viresh Kumar Bhawra, who was appointed the DGP according to the UPSC procedure during Charanjit Singh Channi-led government. Bhawra served on the post for merely six months.
Ever since the Supreme Court of India laid down procedures for appointment of the DGP through UPSC in its judgment in the case of ‘Parkash Singh and others vs Union of India’, Punjab government had been crying hoarse on the issue, citing that ‘law and order’ is a state subject and the appointment of DGP through UPSC infringes upon the states’s rights to appoint a top cop of its choice.
After the Supreme Court judgment in the Parkash Singh case, an amendment in this regard was also brought during the Captain Amarinder Singh-led government in which Section-6 of Punjab Police Act was amended. This amendment said that the state government shall select the DGP from a panel of at least six eligible officers provided that such a panel shall be prepared by a committee comprising chief secretary, principal secretary home and outgoing DGP or an expert in internal security matters as may be set up by the state government.
After these amendments, the Punjab government had even moved to the apex court with a plea to amend its earlier judgment and allow the state to appoint a DGP through amended procedure, however, the court on January 16, 2019, dismissed the plea.
