By Our Reporter
Shillong: For the second time the State Government is planning to para-troop an IPS officer from Assam who is much junior to the officers already serving in the State and has never served in Meghalaya, to occupy the post of Director General of Police (DGP).
It is learnt that the Government is in favour of appointing present Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) of Assam Police N Ramachandran (1978 batch IPS) as the full-fledged DGP of the State.
From among the IPS officers who have been empanelled there are three IPS officers who are senior to Ramachandran.
The senior most is present DG (Prisons) Kulbir Krishan (1976 batch) followed by present acting DGP Prem Singh and Subhash Goswami (both 1977 batch). Jayanto Narayan Choudhury (who is on deputation to the Union Government) is also from the 1978 batch like Ramachandran.
It is learnt that many top police officials are unhappy with the proposed appointment of Ramachandran as the State Police Chief.
Many of the top police officials questioned how can a police officer, who has never served in the State, be appointed as the DGP.
Despite this reservation, the State Government can still go ahead with the appointment of Ramachandran since the Meghalaya Police Act, 2010 clearly states that the Government can appoint any five IPS officers who have been empanelled by the State Security Commission (SSC).
Official sources informed that the SSC will be meeting on August 11 to appoint the new DGP.
It may be mentioned that Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma is the chairman of the SSC. Apart from Dr Sangma, the members of the Commission include Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh, Opposition Leader Conrad K Sangma, Chief Secretary WMS Pariat, Principal Secretary (Home) and two non-official members.
According to official sources, the non-official members are being selected as per the recommendation of the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court Madan B Lokur.
The non-official members include former Chief Secretary PJ Bazely and a lawyer whose name is yet to be known.
Several police officers have said that if the Government can disregard its own police officers who have served the State through good times and bad then they might as well have served in Assam which has many more advantages like ability to buy land etc. They say they feel cheated and disregarded but the Government appears to have made this practice the rule rather then the exception, they said.