Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar would now write the annual confidential reports (ACRs) of all senior field officers, including Superintendents of Police (SPs) and Deputy Inspector Generals (DIGs) of Police.
A notification to this effect was issued by the State home department on Monday evening, official sources said.
Earlier, the Chief Minister was the ‘accepting authority’ for officials in the rank of IG and above only.
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According to the notification, the ACRs would now be prepared in three stages, instead of five as the earlier practice.
Under the new provisions, the District Magistrates (DMs) would be the ‘reporting authority’ of SPs, while the DGP will be the ‘reviewing authority’ and the Chief Minister the ’accepting authority’.
Similarly, IGs will be the ‘reporting authority’ for DIGs while the rest of the procedures will remain the same.
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However, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and his LJP counterpart Ramvilas Paswan saw the ACR move a well-planned conspiracy by the ruling NDA in Bihar “to influence the police force to win the assembly elections.”
Mr. Paswan cautioned the SPs against indulgence in ’unfair practice’ during the polls saying they should know that the RJD-LJP combine was set to replace the NDA government after the assembly elections due towards end of this year.