Punjab DGP appointment: UPSC seeks clarification on joining date of some officers

The state sent the names of nine senior-most IPS to the UPSC on September 30 for consideration for Punjab DGP appointment; this is the 2nd clarification that the UPSC has asked for from

Chandigarh The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has again sought a clarification from the Punjab home department on the joining date of certain officers, whose names are on the panel of nine senior-most IPS, being considered for appointment to the post of the state director general of police (DGP).

Punjab is without a regular DGP for a month with IPS Sahota holding the charge of the state DGP; UPSC has to finalise three names of nine that Punjab has sent for the post. (HT Photo)

Punjab is without a regular DGP for a month now, after previous DGP Dinkar Gupta decided to avail a month’s leave following a change in the chief minister. Since then, 1988-batch IPS, Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota, has been holding the charge of Punjab DGP.

This is the second time that the UPSC has sought a clarification before holding its meeting to finalise names of three officers to be sent back to the state, which will then pick one from the panel of three. Punjab has not yet replied to the UPSC, with the matter referred to chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and home minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa.

The UPSC’s previous clarification, sought last week, was on the date that should be considered as ‘cut-off’ for considering claims of officers whose names had been sent to it. As Punjab had sent the names on September 30, the state had conveyed the same date to be considered as the cut-off.