Top police officials in State set to complete their two-year tenure
| Date :15-Jun-2022 |
By Dheeraj Fartode
AS MAHARASHTRA Police circles are agog with speculations about transfers of top-rank police officers in the coming months, State Home Minister Maharashtra Dilip Walse-Patil has ruled out any untimely transfers. “Let the officers complete their two-year tenure till September. Then we will see,” Walse-Patil said during interaction with newspersons.
If the Home Minister keeps his word, then it would be a relief for a section of senior officers who are enjoying their ‘choice’ postings as Unit Commanders. Else, the officers would be transferred by next month.
Walse-Patil made this statement while interacting with newspersons at Ravi Bhavan during his Nagpur visit. He said, he was keen to wrap up the much-awaited mega reshuffle by the last week of May. However, the decision was put on hold due to Rajya Sabha and the ensuing Legislative Council elections. “The reshuffle will take place positively after June 30,” the Home Minister stated.
It may be mentioned here that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had issued a notification and barred transfers of government officials till June 30.
Around 50 top police officials including CP Nagpur Amitesh Kumar, CP Pune Amitabh Gupta, CP Mira Bhayander Sadanand Date, CP Amravati Dr Aarti Singh were given postings in September 2020. These officials are scheduled to complete their tenure in September this year and hence intense speculations about new postings and transfer dates are on in the top echelons of State police force.
Sources in the Home Department said that CP Mumbai Sanjay Pandey was set to retire on June 30, in case he does not get any extension. Much lobbying is expected for the coveted post in the financial capital of the country and Shiv Sena would push the name of the officer close to it as next Mumbai Police Commissioner. “Some officials would be transferred in July and a major chunk of senior officials will get transfer orders in September,” claimed sources.
A senior police official said that in case the mega reshuffle takes place in July, then many officials will get transfer orders before completing their tenure.
In such cases, some ACP/DySP rank officials would knock on the door of court if they did not get their ‘choice’ postings, the official said. Therefore, the Home Department will choose a middle-way and issue transfer orders only after September to be safe on the legal side. The transfers will also have an impact of ensuing local body elections including municipal corporations of Brihanmumbai, Pune and Nagpur, he said.
‘Every IPS officer will not get posting as SP’
ASKED about the wait of IPS officers of 2015 batch for posting as Superintendent of Police (SP), the Home Minister was of the view that it was not necessary for all officers to serve as Unit Commander. “One cannot assure independent posting as SP,” he said further.