BASURI DESAI
basuri@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The promotion fate of newly recruited and senior officers of Goa Police remains murky in the absence of a career ladder of promotions. The Apex Court has repeatedly pointed out that provision for promotion increases efficiency of public servants, while stagnation reduces efficiency and makes service ineffective.
The present quota of promotions to the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) – 50 percent by promotion and 50 percent direct recruitment – has blocked the scope of promotion of some senior Police Inspectors who have served in the position for over 15 years as well as of some recently recruited Police Sub-Inspectors.
The officers have made several representations to the State government to reverse the promotion ratio of DySPs. The 2011 amendment to the Goa Police Service Rule has made promotion to DySP by 50 percent promotion and 50 percent direct recruit, against the earlier 80 percent and 20 percent respectively.
Recently, an officer through a representation submitted that the 2011 amendment is in violation of preamble of the Indian Constitution, Directive Principles and Fundamental Rights.
“In the event the amendment of 50 percent by direct recruitment is allowed then the promotional avenues of the directly recruited PSIs and Police Inspector will be adversely affected and some of the directly recruited PSIs will not get the next promotion and some the Police Inspectors will have to retire as Police Inspector’s even after putting on an 35 years of service,” the representation said.
In 1973 the Goa Police Service Rules were amended and promotion to DySP was made 80 percent and direct by 20 percent. That was done based on the letter made by the then IGP Y S Dhuriya to the government enclosing the GORE Commission report on Police Training.
The letter, sought under RTI, clearly stated that as per the GORE Commission, direct recruitment should be gradually reduced to 20 percent from 50 percent and vacancies from DySP by promotion should be increased to 100 percent from 50 percent.
It is also revealed under the RTI sourced documents that the amendment of 2011, making 50 percent by promotion and 50 percent by direct recruitment, was approved by the cabinet on August 5, 2011 based on a cabinet note moved by the Principal Secretary.
It is submitted in the representation that the cabinet note was drafted with neither correspondence from the Police Department nor based on any recommendation from any commission, nor with concurrence of the Police Establishment Board.
The Police Department currently has 288 sanctioned posts of PSI of which 192 are available, 78 posts of PIs while 61 are available, 82 posts of LPSIs while 43 are available and 28 posts of DySPs while 15 are available. The Police Department has proposed to the government to sanction more posts of officers.
