Bengal prepares list of police officers for UPSC to select DGP nominees

West Bengal has for the first time prepared a list of 21 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to shortlist three nominees for the post of the state police chief, said bureaucrats aware of the matter. The state government will pick one of the nominees for the post.

Virendra, who uses one name, is due to retire as the Bengal police chief on August 31.

The 21 officers joined the service between 1986 and 1991 and have served for 30 years.

On July 2, the UPSC wrote to West Bengal chief secretary HK Dwivedi seeking a list of eligible officers for the post. The state home department sought the list from Virendra within five days on July 13. HT has seen copies of both letters.

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The states are supposed to send names to the UPSC so that three nominees can be shortlisted based on their seniority, experience, service record, and years left in service. Bengal has been among states such as Punjab that have not earlier followed the process as per the directives of the Supreme Court.

The court in 2006 directed that a police chief shall be selected from among the three senior-most officers empanelled for promotion by the UPSC. Many states filed applications seeking an amendment to this. In 2018, the court refused to modify the directions.

Last year, the Punjab State Administrative Tribunal set aside the state government’s arguments against the Supreme Court order. Tamil Nadu in June named C Sylendra Babu as the police chief from among three officers impanelled by the UPSC.

Many of the 21 shortlisted for the post of Bengal police chief are director-general rank officers. Manoj Malaviya tops the list that also includes a woman, Suman Bala Sahoo.

Dwivedi could not be contacted for his comments.