Panel for Punjab DGP post sent to UPSC, Siddharth Chattopadhyaya in the race

Chandigarh, September 30

In a race against time to accommodate the candidature of Siddharth Chattopadhyaya for the post of Punjab DGP, the state government today sent a panel of nine police officers to the UPSC.

As Chattopadhyaya’s retirement date is March 31, 2022, Thursday was the last day of eligibility to be considered for the post. The UPSC was authorised to form a panel of three officers based on the candidate’s length of service, record and range of service. The SC had in March 2019 revised the orders saying officers with six months of service can be empanelled. Earlier, it was two years of residual service. The Supreme Court had in 2018 laid down the procedure of the appointment of the DGP of the state. It said a state government has to send a panel of five or more officers to the UPSC, three months before the retirement of the incumbent DGP.

Sources said the PCC chief and a section of Congress leaders were backing Chattopadhyaya’s candidature but the Chief Minister, along with deputy CM-cum-Home Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa, had rallied behind Officiating DGP Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota. The nine officers, sources said, have been included in the list as per the seniority list. The UPSC will short-list three of them. — TNS