Chandigarh, Feb 26: The Punjab government is unlikely to submit a panel of senior police officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the selection of a permanent Director General of Police. Sources within the administration stated that while a list of eligible officers has been prepared, a policy decision has been made to refrain from involving the federal commission at this stage.
A senior government official affirmed that the current political stance is to withhold the panel unless a legal complication or a sudden shift in policy occurs. This position comes despite a Supreme Court directive issued earlier this month, which instructed the state to adhere to the national procedure of sending names to the UPSC for shortlisting.
Since assuming office in March 2022, the Aam Aadmi Party government has not utilized the UPSC process. Instead, the state assembly passed the Punjab Police Amendment Bill 2023, which seeks to empower the state to appoint its own police chief through a state-led committee. This legislation is currently awaiting the assent of the President of India.
The incumbent DGP, Gaurav Yadav, has held the position since June 2022. Government sources asserted that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is not inclined to follow the UPSC’s recent request to submit the panel by the February 28 deadline. Officials noted that following the UPSC directive would contradict the state’s own legislative efforts to decentralize the appointment process.
Currently, the most senior eligible officers belong to the 1992 batch, including Sharad Satya Chauhan, Harpreet Singh Sidhu, Kuldeep Singh, and the incumbent, Gaurav Yadav. Although DGP Yadav would likely be included in any UPSC-shortlisted panel, the state government maintains that its legislative framework should take precedence.
