Appointed in 2015, Punjab police chief Suresh Arora would continue on the coveted post till September this year. For, the Centre on Wednesday approved to give the third extension to Arora as Punjab Director General of Police (DGP0.
As per the order, Arora’s service tenure has been extended for 12 months from September 30, 2018 — the date for his superannuation.
The announcement comes on a day when the Supreme Court has reiterated the procedures laid in Prakash Singh case for appointment of DGPs, making it clear that the states cannot appoint the police chiefs of their choice through their internal procedures, and the decision must be through the UPSC.
Arora, a 1982-batch IPS officer, was given three-month extension last year.
Now, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved extension in Arora’s service as the DGP for an overall period of 12 months beyond the date of his superannuation, which is September 30, 2018, in public interest, according to the Personnel Ministry order.
Arora was in 2015 appointed the DGP by the then SAD-BJP government.
The apex court had in July last year outlined the procedures for the appointment of regular DGPs in states.
According to the Supreme Court verdict, states were required to send a list of senior officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) at least three months prior to the retirement of an incumbent.
The Commission would then prepare a panel and send it to the states for the appointment.
The Apex Court on Wednesday rejected pleas by Punjab, Haryana, Kerala, West Bengal and Bihar seeking modifications of the July 2018 order.
On Wednesday, the Apex Court has declined to dilute its order on appointment of DGPs in states, rejecting plea of Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal, Kerala and Bihar which wanted to appoint DGPs through an internal state committee rather than taking the UPSC route provided for in the SC verdict.
These states had contended that police being a state subject, UPSC can't have a role in it.