Kolkata, Aug 31 (IANS): The senior-most IPS officer in West Bengal, Manoj Malaviya, has been asked to take additional charge as the Director-General of Police until further order.
The order was issued because the present DG, Virendra, will retire on Tuesday and the state has asked Malviya to continue as acting DG until the Union Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) under the PMO clears the name for the post.
Malaviya, who is presently posted as DG (Organisation), is the first name in the list of candidates sent by the state to the DoPT for final clearance.
Malaviya, who has a track record of central deputation at the CBI and the CAPF (Central Armed Police Force), has all the qualifications to become the DG, but the UPSC might raise various corruption allegations levelled against him during his tenure as the chief of the Bureau of Civil Aviation. This might go against him as an UPSC order mandates professional integrity.
The state has already sent a list of 11 candidates, but sources close to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee feel that after the Alapan Bandyopadhyay incident, the posting of the DGP might also take a political turn.
Ideally, since the DoPT under the PMO is the appointing authority of IPS and IAS officers, the PMO's sanction is required to appoint a person as the DGP of any state.
Traditionally, Union governments accept the name forwarded by the chief ministers but this time the Centre has engaged the UPSC to do a credibility check of the officers before appointing anyone for the top post.
According to senior officials of the state home department, the state government had sent the list to the DoPT in time but the Centre has not sent any list so far.
The DoPT is supposed to send a list of three officers from which the state would have the liberty to choose.
"The present DG will retire on Tuesday. So far the Centre has not sent any list but an important post like DG cannot lie vacant. So Malaviya has been asked to take charge until further order," a senior official of the state home department said.
According to officials, the second on the list is Kuldiep Singh, who is currently DG (CRPF) and it is unlikely that the Centre would release Singh to become the police chief of Bengal.
The next in line is current joint secretary at the cabinet secretariat, Sashi Bhusan Singh Tomar, who may also not be picked. In that case, Suman Bala Sahoo, who is fourth on the list, might have a chance to become the DG.
The state government might even think of P. Nirajnayan, who figures fifth on the list. During the recently concluded Assembly polls in Bengal, Nirajnayan was made the DGP in place of Virendra but after the Trinamool Congress retained power, Virendra was reinstated and Nirajnayan was sent to the fire department as DG.
Considered to be a smart officer and having good relation with the state government, Mamata Banerje might even think of reinstating Nirajnayan.