The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) directive to the State government not to “over-utilise” the State Deputation Reserve could provide a reprieve to many IPS officers who are serving in ex-cadre posts, particularly to those holding positions much below their ranks.
According to a senior police official, Tamil Nadu is perhaps the only State where a majority of Superintendents of Police (SPs) in districts are not IPS officers. Cadre post means a position reserved for IPS officers and State Deputation Reserve is a quota where IPS officers can be posted to ex-cadre posts. In Tamil Nadu, of the three cadre posts in the rank of DGP, the Director, Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, is held by an ADGP rank officer.
“State Deputation Reserve is over-utilised since many IPS officers are posted to ex-cadre posts. This doesn’t happen anywhere…we have senior IPS officers serving in posts like Vigilance Officers in Electricity Board, Aavin, Transport Corporation etc,” a senior police official said.
For instance, a DGP who is a recipient of the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry has been serving in the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation as its Vigilance Officer for over six years. The corporation, already reeling under huge losses, has to bear the salary and establishment cost of the officer, which would be much more than its own Managing Director’s, the official said. However, police sources say the State has powers to create temporary posts to promote and accommodate IPS officers for a period of two years without the concurrence of the Centre. The Centre has now given concurrence for promoting one DGP, two ADGPs, six IGPs, seven DIGs and eight SPs (Selection Grade).
A day after the MHA’s letter to the Chief Secretary, the State government issued orders notifying that 12 officers in the rank of SP belonging to the 2004 batch of IPS were fit to be promoted as Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG).
