23 state-cadre officers get fresh IPS batches in Punjab

Aman Sood

Patiala, May 24

As many as 23 officers of the state cadre, promoted as Indian Police Service (IPS) officers in the past over a decade, have been reallocated batches following latest orders by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

While many IPS officers promoted during the past state governments have been re-assigned batches, others have been given their due batches, paving the way for their promotion.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has finalised the list of seniority/year of allotment in respect of officers inducted into the IPS for the select list of 2010 to 2018.

Following the upgraded list sent by the Centre, three officers from the state are now eligible for promotion as DIGs, while batches of other officers have been revised.

The recent list has fixed seniority of 23 officers of the state who have now been allotted IPS batches and their seniority has been fixed following a request letter by the Punjab Government. Many of these officers were waiting for over a decade for the final allocations.

“Punjab has sent a proposal for fixation of seniority of IPS officers appointed on promotion from SPS quota of Punjab Cadre on the basis of inclusion of their names in the select lists of 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, which were notified on April 7, 2021,” states the Centre’s orders of May 23.

In the past over a decade, many IPS officers who were promoted from the state cadre were nominated by the state government, superseding a few senior Punjab-cadre officers, leading to confusion and disparity. However, following the Punjab Government’s letter to the Centre, the ministry has now clarified the fresh batches have been allocated superseding all previous orders.

Following revised allocation of batches, three officers, including Sangrur SSP Mandeep Singh Sidhu, Ludhiana Joint Commissioner Narinder Bhargav and Tarn Taran SSP Ranjit Singh Dhillon, who have been allotted the 2008 batch are now eligible for promotion to the DIG rank with immediate effect.

Others from their batch of 2008 were recently promoted to the DIG rank last month. The government can now order their promotion, following which all three will be promoted and hold higher posts.

“Others who are yet to complete their mandatory IPS training have been left out of this list and will be promoted only when they complete their mandatory IPS training,” said an insider.

“Six of the 23 officers promoted and re-allotted batches, have already retired from service. All this took place in the past decade of successive state governments and many officers were given senior batches, while many others who had joined the service much before, had to wait for their IPS batches,” said a senior IPS officer. “Now the recent Union Government order is in suppression of ministry’s two earlier orders, which means the re-allocation of IPS batches now is final,” he said.

This will benefit many retired officers who have been reassigned batches and will be eligible for pension benefits as per their years in IPS service. Also, the Centre’s orders bring parity and transparency in the seniority list, which was pending for the past few years, awaiting the final nod.

What the orders by centre mean

• The latest orders bring parity and transparency in the seniority list, which was pending for the past few years
• Those given older batches eligible for next promotion, while those pushed backwards will have to wait for promotion, pay hike
• Similarly, the Centre’s orders will affect their grade and pay scale, in addition to their post-retirement benefits

Allotment of officers in select lists – 2010 to 2018

2003 BATCH Iqbal Singh, Pawan Kumar (both retired)

2004 Baljot Singh Rathore, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, Hardial Singh (retd), Harbhajan Singh (retd), Gurpreet Singh, Surjit Singh (retd)

2005 Harjinder Singh (retd), Gurpreet Singh Gill

2008 Mandeep Singh Sidhu, Narinder Bhargav, Ranjit S Dhillon

2009 Ajay Maluja, Rakesh Kumar Kaushal, Varinder Paul Singh, Harcharan Singh Bhullar, Opinderjit Singh

2010 Sukhpal Singh, Sukhwant Gill

2011 Jaspreet Singh Sidhu, Gurmeet Singh Chauhan, Naveen Saini