IN A significant cadre-management initiative aimed at strengthening the apex command structure of Chhattisgarh Police, the Home Department has moved a confidential proposal 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 proposal, routed through the Principal Secretary, Home Department, could pave the way for elevation 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 proposal has undergone deliberations at the highest levels, involving Home Minister Vijay Sharma and incumbent DGP Arun Dev Gautam, a 1992-batch IPS officer, while senior officials in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) are also aware of the exercise. Sources indicated that the proposal could come before the Cabinet at an ensuing meeting, though no formal decision has yet been taken. The proposal, sources maintained, is rooted in the State Government’s requirement to create adequate command space at the highest level while ensuring legitimate promotional progression for senior officers with three decades or more in service. The governing IPS framework itself provides room for temporary augmntation of a State cadre where administrative exigencies warrant such an arrangement. 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 period requires approval of the Central Government.

 

The proposed three temporary DG-rank positions are being examined against this statutory framework, according to officers familiar 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 maintained, would provide greater flexibility in distributing supervisory 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 significant. Gautam is due to superannuate in July 2027. Pawan Deo, a 1992-batch IPS officer, retires in July 2028, while Himanshu Gupta and Gurjinder Pal Singh, both 1994-batch officers, 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 DGlevel 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 concurrence sought by the State for the additional DG-level positions, and the Bhupesh Baghel-led 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 consultation 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, Trainingcum-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 prescribed conditions. The historical controversy surrounding the earlier DGrank promotions, meanwhile, underwent a significant reversal 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 administrative position. A former Special DG-rank officer said the Cabinet viewed the earlier reduction in rank as arbitrary and constitutionally untenable, invoking safeguards available to civil servants under Article 311 of the Constitution. The decision restored the officers’ 2018 rank and seniority, with consequential retrospective financial benefits. The April 2026 reversal has consequently changed the backdrop against which that earlier episode is being cited in discussions surrounding the present proposal.