Request made to address stagnation in police ranks
* Seeks coverage of 2010-11 SI batch under OPS
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 29: The Director General of Police (DGP) RR Swain has reportedly urged the Home Department to address the growing stagnation within J&K Police by increasing the promotion quota for Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) posts.
Police sources said in a letter addressed to the Principal Secretary, Home Department, the DGP has called for an increase in the promotion quota from the existing 50% to 70% to alleviate the backlog faced by the Inspectors awaiting promotion.
They said, in the letter, the DGP has highlighted that the stagnation is a result of the inadequate number of DySP posts available under the promotion quota.
He has mentioned in the letter addressed to the Home Department that despite earlier Government orders reviewing the strength and composition of the Jammu & Kashmir Gazetted Services, a much-needed review scheduled for 2022 has not taken place, police sources said.
According to the DGP, the officers who joined as Sub-Inspectors in 1995, for example, have received only one promotion in nearly three decades, a situation described as both “demoralizing and disheartening.”
With the current sanctioned strength of 1,251 Inspectors in the General Executive Cadre and only 354 DySP posts available for promotions, DGP Swain has recommended adopting a 30:70 ratio for direct recruitment and promotions, sources said. He has emphasized that such a move would ensure a fairer system, particularly for Inspectors nearing retirement.
Sources said the DGP has also pointed to distortions caused by large batches of direct DySP recruits, noting that while the top 10-20% of a batch has progressed to Inspector General (IG) level, many officers at the lower end of the seniority list remain stuck at Superintendent of Police (SP) level, some retiring without being considered for induction into the Indian Police Service (IPS).
In his letter, the DGP Swain has called for an immediate review and restructuring of the promotion system to boost morale and ensure smoother career progression for officers in the J&K Police.
Meanwhile, sources said, through another letter addressed to the Principal Secretary Home Department, the Director General of Police (DGP) RR Swain has sought the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) benefits for the Sub-Inspectors of 2010-11 batch whose written test in 2010 was delayed due to administrative reasons and subsequently they were covered under the New Pension Scheme implemented that year.
Quoting the DGP’s letter addressed to the Principal Secretary Home, sources said, the Sub-Inspector batch of 2010-11 consists of 480 officers appointed under advertisement notices issued in January 2009.
Despite being recruited before the NPS was introduced through SRO 400 in December 2009, the officers were brought under the NPS due to administrative delays in their selection process, they said quoting the DGP’s letter.
In the letter, they said, The DGP has noted that the Government of India faced a similar situation after the introduction of the NPS in 2003.
In response, the Central Government provided a one-time option for affected employees to switch to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) through an Office Memorandum (OM) issued in March 2023, the DGP claimed in his letter.
Drawing attention to the statutory concession provided by the Government of India, the DGP has urged that the same approach be applied to J&K Police officers, sources said.
He has emphasized that the NPS for J&K was adopted from the Central Government’s 2003 decision and should therefore follow the same principles, sources further said.
According to them, the DGP argued that extending OPS to the 2010-11 SI batch would not only be legally justified but also ensure administrative fairness.
He has also highlighted the officers’ legitimate expectation to be covered under OPS, given the circumstances of their recruitment, and called for this step to prevent further grievances and litigation, sources said.
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