LUCKNOW: The UP government appointed Karamveer Singh as the state security adviser on Thursday - just 24 hours after he retired as the director general of police. A non-controversial IPS officer, Singh's appointment is first of its kind in the state and has triggered a debate in the IPS cadre over the pros and cons of this move.
Home secretary Deepak Kumar confirmed Singh's appointment and added that he would avail all emoluments and perks of a principal secretary. The appointment has been made for a period of one year and will be subject to extension if required.
According to the official letter of appointment, the security adviser will suggest measures to check crime against schedule caste and schedule tribes, including inquiry into allegations of false cases; effective control over crime against women and children; handling of riots and deployment of forces during special occasions like festivals or renewed terror threat. The most important part of the job, however, will be advising the chief minister on any police-related issue.
Asked about the need to create such a post, senior government officers cited examples from the past. "We already have a trend at the Centre where retired IFS officer Brijesh Mishra was appointed the first-ever national security adviser (NSA) in 1998. He was from the Indian Foreign Service but entrusted with a job that was described as internal security," said a senior bureaucrat.
"Here we have an officer who was instrumental in ensuring a peaceful assembly elections in 2007, when he headed the central para-military forces in the state while serving as the inspector general (IG) of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)," he added.
"And then what is the harm in availing the services of a senior IPS officer who has spent a major portion of his service in field policing with more than satisfactory results?" the officer said.
However, there were mixed reactions from the IPS and IAS officers about the new appointment. Some IPS officers were satisfied as the appointment would help them have a direct 'police' channel to the chief minister. Till now they had to go via the state home department and IPS officers often cribbed about not having a direct representation before the powers that be in times of crisis.
"There have been innumerable instances when in a riot-hit district only the police chief concerned was penalised and the administrative chief -- the district magistrate - was let off, while as per rules, the police chief works under the DM to the extent of even appointing a police station in-charge," said an inspector general of police.
Some officers, on the other hand, expressed serious concern about this new trend. "This will come as a carrot for state police chiefs who are on the verge of retirement, encouraging them to work with the sole objective of keeping their political masters in good humor rather than handling any situation on the basis of its merit," said an IPS officer. Some others feared that the future appointees may overshadow the state DGP's scope and powers, causing bad blood at the top level which can eventually take a toll on policing.
No comments:
Post a Comment