Govt to table bill to add new post of special commissioner of police

Weeks after IPS officer Deven Bharti was appointed as the first special commissioner of police in Mumbai, the state government will now table a bill to make consequential amendments in the Maharashtra Police Act

Mumbai: Weeks after IPS officer Deven Bharti was appointed as the first special commissioner of police in Mumbai, the state government will now table a bill to make consequential amendments in the Maharashtra Police Act.

Mumbai, India - 27 Nov 2015: Mumbai Police arrested 5 accused in Kidnapping and Extortion case with weapons, Joint CP (Law and Order) Deven Bharti, addressing to Media at CP office, in Mumbai, India, on Friday, Nov 27, 2015. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande)

The amendments will facilitate the insertion of the new post and hierarchy of the special commissioner in the Act.

The bill is expected to be tabled in the Legislative Assembly this week. The bill proposes to amend A-1 of section 7 of the Maharashtra Police Act 1951, to insert the provision of special commissioner after the post of commissioner in the police force.

“One post in the grade of additional director general of police has been made available as special commissioner of police on the establishment of Mumbai police commissioner,” the statement of the bill read.

The 1994-batch IPS officer is an additional director general rank officer. The post will come into effect from January 4, a day on which the order of the appointment of Bharti was issued by the home department.

Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who heads the home department, had reportedly pushed for the creation of the post on the lines of one existing in Delhi. Fadnavis will table the bill in the lower house. “Since it is a new post, the amendment in the Act for its creation was necessary,” a home department official said.