Staff Reporter:

IN A significant cadre-manage- ment initiative aimed at strengthening the apex com- mand structure of Chhattisgarh Police, the Home Department has moved a confidential pro- posal seeking Government approval for creation of three additional temporary posts in the Director General (DG) rank, potentially opening the next level of career progression for three senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officers. Highly-placed sources told The Hitavada that the propos- al, routed through the Principal Secretary, Home Department, could pave the way for eleva- tion of Siva Rama Prasad Kalluri, a 1994-batch IPS officer, Pradeep Gupta of the 1995 batch and Vivekanand Sinha of the 1996 batch. Sources privy to movement of the closely-held file said the pro- posal has undergone delibera- tions at the highest levels, involv- ing Home Minister Vijay Sharma and incumbent DGP Arun Dev Gautam, a 1992-batch IPS offi- cer, while senior officials in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) are also aware of the exercise. Sources indicated that the pro- posal could come before the Cabinet at an ensuing meeting, though no formal decision has yet been taken. The proposal, sources main- tained, is rooted in the State Government’s requirement to create adequate command space at the highest level while ensuring legitimate promo- tional progression for senior offi- cers with three decades or more in service. 

 

 

The governing IPS framework itself provides room for temporary augmntation of a State cadre where administrative exigen- cies warrant such an arrange- ment. Significantly, Rule 4(2) of the Indian Police Service (Cadre) Rules, 1954, empowers a State Government to temporarily add one or more posts carrying duties or responsibilities of a like nature to cadre posts for a period not exceeding two years. Continuation for a further peri- od requires approval of the Central Government. The pro- posed three temporary DG-rank positions are being examined against this statutory frame- work, according to officers famil- iar with cadre administration. A senior Additional Director General (ADG)-rank officer of Chhattisgarh Police said such restructuring should have been undertaken earlier. Additional apex-level positions, the officer main- tained, would provide greater flexibility in distributing super- visory responsibilities among specialised wings, improve inter-wing coordination and address promotional stagnation among officers who have reached the upper end of the hierarchy.

 

The timing is equally signifi- cant. Gautam is due to super- annuate in July 2027. Pawan Deo, a 1992-batch IPS officer, retires in July 2028, while Himanshu Gupta and Gurjinder Pal Singh, both 1994-batch offi- cers, follow in 2029. Elevation of Kalluri, Pradeep Gupta and Sinha could consequently broaden the pool of experienced officers at the apex as Chhattisgarh approaches its next Head of Police Force (HoPF) transition. The proposal nevertheless carries a contentious historical backdrop. Three temporary DG- level posts created in December 2017 led to the promotion of Sanjay Pillai, R K Vij and Mukesh Gupta in October 2018. The Centre had declined concur- rence sought by the State for the additional DG-level positions, and the Bhupesh Baghel-led ovt eyes 3 temp DG posts as... Congress Government subsequently cancelled the creation of the three posts and the promotions in September 2019. In its September 28, 2022 ruling, the Chhattisgarh High Court recognised the State’s competence under Rule 4(2) to add one or more posts for a period not exceeding two years, but drew a distinction between creation of a post and promotion to it while examining the absence of Central concurrence in the case.

 

Chhattisgarh’s IPS cadre itself underwent revision on May 21, 2025, through a Central notification issued in con- sultation with the State Government. The revised framework provides 84 Senior Duty Posts and raises the total authorised IPS strength from 142 to 153. It specifies the DGP, Chhattisgarh, and DG, Training- cum-Director General, State Police Academy, among the Senior Duty Posts. Officials familiar with cadre administration also point out that posts temporarily added under Rule 4(2) occupy a distinct statutory footing. Government of India instructions clarify that posts created under this provision are treated as temporary cadre posts added to the cadre schedule rather than being counted against the State Deputation Reserve, provided they satisfy the pre- scribed conditions.

 

The historical controversy surrounding the earlier DG- rank promotions, meanwhile, underwent a significant rever- sal in April 2026 when the BJP Government headed by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai revoked the September 2019 orders issued during the previous Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress Government that had resulted in Sanjay Pillai, R K Vij and Mukesh Gupta losing their DG-rank status. The Cabinet annulled the 2019 decision and restored the earlier admin- istrative position. A former Special DG-rank officer said the Cabinet viewed the earlier reduction in rank as arbitrary and constitu- tionally untenable, invoking safeguards available to civil servants under Article 311 of the Constitution. The deci- sion restored the officers’ 2018 rank and seniority, with con- sequential retrospective financial benefits. The April 2026 reversal has consequently changed the backdrop against which that earlier episode is being cited in discussions sur- rounding the present proposal.