A UPSC-led panel has sent three names to the West Bengal government as candidates for the head of police force (HOPF). The state does not have a full-time DGP/HOPF for the last four months due to the stalemate arising from the confrontation between state and Union governments.
The West Bengal government is yet to name its final choice, but all three names were not ones the Mamata Banerjee government had expected.
Sources said the names provided by the UPSC were acting DGP Manoj Malaviya, DG CRPF Kuldeep Singh and DG (telecom) Suman Bala Sahoo, the only woman candidate in the list who now has the opportunity to become the first woman police chief of the state.
But none of the officers is considered to be a favourite of the ruling dispensation in Kolkata.
West Bengal Chief Secretary H.K. Dwivedi recently went to Delhi and attended the meeting of the UPSC-led panel on December 22. He is an ex-officio member of the panel.
It seems the panel headed by UPSC has not gone by the basis of merit but on the basis of seniority. Malaviya is a 1986 batch IPS officer, as is Kuldeep Singh (though he is a few months junior to Malaviya) and Sahoo is another 1987 batch officer. Other strong contenders were Adhir Sharma, N.N. Pandey and Gangeswar Singh, all 1987 batch officers. While Gangeswar and Pandey will retire soon, Sharma has almost a year of service left. The state government's favourite was said to be Gangeswar, who fell short due to his fast-approaching retirement.
To become the police chief, an officer has to have at least six months of service left.
What surprised many about the choices of the panel was that the Union government has so far kept mum on the pending proceedings against Malaviya by the CBI and CVC.
Sahoo was recently given an offer for Central deputation by both Union and state governments. Her name has been empanelled in Central list of officers for posting in Delhi. In addition, it is unclear whether Kuldeep Singh, being head of CRPF, is willing to return to Kolkata.
Recently, an RTI application was filed in National Chief Information Commissioner's office about the status of the proceedings against Malaviya. Both the Home Ministry and CBI furnished replies, as had the CVC earlier, but these were evasive in nature.
Moreover, the West Bengal government has filed a suit in Supreme Court challenging two officers from MHA who are in the panel headed by UPSC chief.
UPSC is alleged to have undermined procedures and went ahead on the basis of seniority. Also the yardstick to find a HOPF are ten issues where corruption-free career is a must. There are ten yardsticks for last 10 years to be taken into consideration, among which three major yardsticks are aptitude on investigations, law and order and intelligence.
What appears to have worked for Malaviya is that since he took charge, there have been no serious law and order issues in West Bengal. He effectively handled post-poll violence after taking charge and the violence in Kolkata civic election was solely under jurisdiction of Kolkata Police commissioner, which is detached from West Bengal Police administrative jurisdiction.
If chosen now, Malaviya would have tough days ahead. Rural civic polls will be held in January, February and March. It would be an acid test to whoever slips into the big shoes of DGP.
