By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Like the frequent change of Chief Ministers and Governments in Meghalaya, the post of the Meghalaya Director General of Police (DGP) has also become unstable with some police chiefs remaining in office only for two months.
There have been more acting DGPs than full-fledged police chiefs in the State in the last five years and many a times appointments to the top post was politicized resulting in frequent removal of DGPs.
Alleged groupism within the police hierarchy had also paved the way for the removal of some DGPs.
Though senior police official Prem Singh assumed office as new DGP on Friday with the Election Commission removing his predecessor Kulbir Krishan, it is uncertain whether Singh will continue to remain in office once a new Government is formed considering the history of frequent changes to the top post in the State
In fact, Singh himself had served as acting DGP from February 1, 2011 till September 28 that year.
The Government had in the past chose the method of appointing acting DGPs since it was easy for their removal with the change of preferences by those who are at the helm of affairs. There were also controversies in the appointment of DGPs in the past as very often the ‘seniority criteria’ was by overlooked by the Government.
The State Security Commission which is always authorized to empanel at least five names to select the new DGP has no final say other than recommending the names. It is the Government which takes a final call on the appointments of a DGP.
Meghalaya has had as many as seven acting DGPs since 2007 starting from the appointment of senior police official BK Dey Sawian on March 21, 2007 as acting DGP.
After Sawian had gone on deputation to Delhi in February 2009, the search for the next DGP began. Krishan, who was then holding charge of Prisons, was appointed as the acting DGP by the then NCP-UDP led Meghalaya Progressive Alliance Government on Feb 10, 2009. In May 2009, after the Congress-led government came into power, Krishan was removed and the Government appointed Anil Pradhan as acting DGP.
Yet again in August, another acting DGP, B Kezo was appointed in place of Pradhan, who was forced to go on leave following the infamous Shillong jailbreak incident.
End of 2009, the Government appointed SB Kakati as the acting DGP, surpassing seniority issues. He retired in January 2011, which led to the appointment of another acting DGP, Prem Singh, on February 1, 2011.
Singh could not continue for long as on September 28, 2011, N Ramachandran was appointed as the full-fledged DGP by the Government, yet again by passing the seniority criteria.
While Singh was a 1977 batch officer from the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, Ramachandran was from the 1978 batch. Krishan (1976) was senior to both Ramachandran and Singh.
After Ramachandran retired, the Government decided to appoint B Kezo as the next DGP of Meghalaya, who, however, refused since he wanted to continue in his post in Nagaland.
As delays continued in the appointment of a new DGP, senior police official Rajiv Mehta was appointed as acting DGP on October 31, 2012.
After the refusal on the part of Kezo to come back to Meghalaya, the State Government had even approached Prem Singh but he chose not to be in the race for the post of next DGP due to the ‘fickle-minded nature of the authorities’ in the appointment of DGPs.
Beset by lack of options and a fast-approaching Assembly election, the Government appointed Kulbir Krishan as the new DGP on November 30, 2012, only to be removed on February 7, 2013.
Singh, who succeeded Krishan, could not say no to his appointment as the new DGP as it was as per the direction of the Election Commission of India.
With the formation of a new Government possibly within a month’s time after the February 23 election, signals are emanating that a new DGP will be appointed.