Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 28

The state government on Tuesday bypassed the Supreme Court order on the appointment of state Director General of Police (DGP) by clearing a Bill that authorises the setting up of a state security commission for the appointment of the top cop and other issues involving the police department.

The Bill titled The Punjab Police (Second Amendment) Bill, 2018, states that the state government shall select the DGP from among the IPS officers from a panel of at least three eligible officers of Punjab or any state cadre, who are in the rank of DGP or are eligible to hold this rank and having a reasonable period of service left, which shall in no case be less than 12 months.

The Supreme Court had, in an order pronounced in June, asked all states to send a panel of five eligible officers to the UPSC, which will shortlist three and the state will then have to choose one of them for the DGP’s post. This had become a contentious issue since law and order is a state subject. Some state governments had appealed against it. Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh too had earlier announced to file an appeal.

Now, the state Assembly has managed to circumvent the SC order. The Bill has provisioned that the panel of candidates would be formed by a committee comprising Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary to Home Affairs and Justice, outgoing DGP or an expert in internal security matters as may be set up by the state.

The state security commission will choose the DGP. The commission members would be the CM as its chairperson, Home Minister as vice-chairperson and members, including the Leader of Opposition, a retired High Court judge, Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary-Home and Advocate General, and the incumbent DGP as member secretary and two eminent citizens.