Selection of new DGP: Has Bhaskar weakened his case?

By A. Jayaram

BANGALORE, JULY 22. The State Government has been called upon to select an officer to head the State's police force as the incumbent, Dr. K. Sreenivasan, is retiring this month end on completion of 60 years of age.

A question being asked is whether Dr. Sreenivasan can get an extension following the precedent of the extension given to the Union Cabinet Secretary, Mr. T. R. Prasad. After the Centre extended the age of retirement of its employees in 1996 to 60, no IAS or IPS officer in the country had been given an extension. The only exception was that of Mr. U. N. Biswas, the IPS officer serving with the CBI who was investigating the fodder scam in Bihar involving the former Chief Minister, Mr. Laloo Prasad Yadav, and others.

Dr. Sreenivasan's has been one of the shorter tenures as Director-General and Inspector-General of Police. He was appointed on February 28, after Mr. C. Dinakar retired.

The officer most likely to succeed Dr. Sreenivasan is Mr. V. V. Bhaskar (1965 batch), who is second in the hierarchy of the State cadre of the IPS. Belonging to the 1965 batch of the IPS, Mr. Bhaskar will hold office till September 2002, if he is appointed. It is stated that the high power committee to make the selection consisting of the Home Minister (Mr.Mallikarjun Kharge), the Law Minister (Mr. D.B.Chandre Gowda) and the Chief Secretary (Ms. Teresa Bhattacharya) is in favour of Mr. Bhaskar.

But a question being asked in the higher police circles is: ``has Mr. Bhaskar weakened his case through an admission made 11 years ago about his own capabilities?'' A meeting of top Police and Forest Department officers was held on January 20, 199O, on the action to be launched by the State police to retrieve a huge stock of sandalwood concealed by the forest bandit, Veerappan, in the Palar river Basin. It had been decided that the then Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Southern Range) and the Superintendent of Police, Mysore, should lead the operation. At that time Mr. Bhaskar was the DIG concerned. He is stated to have expressed his inability to do so on the grounds that he had gone through the weapons and tactics course in Indore 20 years earlier, that his knowledge of the field operation was outdated and that he was not in a fit condition to lead the operation. He is quoted as having further said that with his advanced age (he was 47 then) and family liabilities, he would not like to risk his life. The meeting had noted his stand.

The guidelines issued by the Government on July 5, 1999 in the light of the Supreme Court order upholding the October 1998 judgment of the High Court quashing the appointment of Mr. T. Srinivasulu as DG-IGP (the successful appellant was Mr. Dinakar) include ``physical fitness and good health'' of the eligible officer.

The other guidelines which the high power committee has to consider are: performance of the officer as reflected in the annual confidential reports since his entry into service; letters of appreciation issued by the Government to the officer; medals, awards and so on awarded to the officer in recognition of his service; penalties imposed on the officer under the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969; warnings, displeasure or reprimand of the Government conveyed to the officer, record of final result of the enquiry into the charges or allegations against the officer; overall personality of the officer including the qualities of head and heart; ability to maintain correct equations with all senior colleagues and discipline at all levels in the police force and ability to provide the right kind of leadership to the police force to take quick and timely decisions in the hour of grave crisis of law and order and to interact meaningfully with different sections of the public.

The three officers following Mr. Bhaskar in the order of seniority are Mr. Jaiparkash (retiring in February 2003), Dr. R.Viswanathan (October 2001).

The decision on the choice of the next DG-IGP now lies with the Chief Minister, Mr. S. M. Krishna, who has reestablished the tradition of respecting seniority.

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Section  : Southern States
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