Promotions to DySP post set to get boost

VIBHA VERMA

vibha@herald-goa.com

PANJIM: The State government has proposed to dilute the process of filling of vacancies for the post of deputy superintendent of police with just 40 per cent of it to be filled by direct recruitment while 60 per cent will be through inter-departmental promotions.

The notification dealing with the recruitment to the post of DySP has been getting amended periodically despite the Home Department not filling any vacancy through direct recruitment for over two decades.

While successive governments have been dragging their feet over filling of vacancies through direct recruitment, opening up avenues for aspirants from outside the cadre, the department in July 2019 proposed the ratio be changed to 60:40, with lesser percentage being filled from the general pool of people.

A senior official from the Home Department confirmed that at present, the ratio stands at 50:50, which is a modification from the earlier ratio of 80:20, with a majority of the vacancies for the DySP post to be filled from non-cadre officers.

The last time there were direct recruitments to the post of DySP was in 1997 and many officers who made it, have now been promoted to the post of Superintendent of Police, rubbing shoulders with IPS officers.

The data available from the department indicates that the government had fixed 80:20, (promotion and direct recruitment) from 1997 till 2011; after which the notification was amended to 50:50 in 2011 which continues till date. 

However, the police department – citing civil service rules – has now sought that the government reduce the direct recruitment from 50 per cent to 40 per cent, by further modifying the ratio to 60:40.

The proposal is now pending with the government for approval. The question remains on the non-recruitment of nearly 17 posts till date, which have been pending since 1997.

Sources told Herald that in 2017, GPSC had sought clarification from the department to which a reminder was also sent. The reply was received but posts have not been advertised as on date.

While the advertisement for the posts is due, the department last month wrote to the government that it would be an injustice to the existing staff if parity is not maintained in appointing junior scale officers and Goa Civil Service.

“At present, 33 officers in this department are in the feeder grade of police inspector who have put in more than five years of regular service in grade and are eligible to be considered for promotion,” the proposal states.

“From amongst the 33 officers, only four senior most officers would be promoted on regular basis to the posts of junior scale officer in the next two financial years against four additional posts to be filled by promotion from amongst eight additional posts that will be 

created in the next financial years. Due to lack of promotion avenues the existing police inspectors will be demoralised as most of them do not have any further scope for promotion till their superannuation,” the proposal said. 

Under these circumstances, and in a bid to provide promotional avenues for the existing police inspectors, the proposal seeks to amend the existing Service Rule 5 (method of recruitment) as amended in 2011 of the Goa Police Service Rules, 1997 to the extent as indicate on par with the method of recruitment of Goa Civil Service Officers as per Goa Civil Service Rules, 2016. 

This, the proposal explained, will maintain parity in the appointment of junior scale officers of Goa Police Service and Goa Civil Service. It is now for the government to decide on the proposal even as the status on the direct recruitment of the DySPs is the same.