Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The long-pending promotion process in the state police force has entered its final stage, with the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) likely to meet on Saturday or Sunday to consider the promotion of inspectors to the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).
Following the meeting, Police Headquarters (PHQ) is expected to issue promotion orders for sub-inspectors and assistant sub-inspectors, while the respective districts will issue orders for head constables and other categories. Most promotion orders are expected to be issued by Monday morning.
Preparations are under way at Police Headquarters and district levels after the government lifted the ban on promotions.
According to sources, the exercise is likely to affect officiating inspectors, sub-inspectors, assistant sub-inspectors and head constables.
However, the promotion exercise could also result in the reversion of a large number of police personnel serving in officiating ranks.
Thousands of officers holding officiating posts may be reverted to their substantive ranks if they are found ineligible for regular promotion.
Promotion policy provisions
Under the state's promotion policy, regular promotion cannot be granted to an officer or employee against whom a departmental inquiry is pending or who is undergoing the penalty of withheld increments at the time of the DPC meeting.
Such officers cannot continue to hold higher posts in an officiating capacity if they are denied regular promotion and may have to revert to their substantive ranks.
Sources said around 1,000 officiating inspectors and sub-inspectors have pending departmental inquiries or are currently undergoing the penalty period.
The number is expected to rise when officiating assistant sub-inspectors and head constables are included.
Technical complication
A technical issue has also emerged during the process. The authority to impose departmental penalties on inspectors rests with the Inspector General (IG), while penalties for sub-inspectors and lower-rank personnel are imposed by the district superintendent of police.
In this case, officiating inspectors were penalised by the IG while serving in a higher rank. Police Headquarters is yet to decide how such cases will be dealt with during the promotion process.
