The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : DG & IGP to have fixed two-year term

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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

DG & IGP to have fixed two-year term

Special Correspondent

Amendments to be made to the Karnataka Police Act, 1963

A panel is working on amendments to
the 40-year-old Act
The Bill may be tabled in next session of
the State legislature

BANGALORE: Some IPS officers who have a chance of heading the State police force as Director-General and Inspector-General of Police (DG & IGP) are unlikely to make it to the top post in view of certain amendments that are being planned to the Karnataka Police Act, 1963.

Highly placed sources in the Home Department told The Hindu on Wednesday that in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court, the Karnataka Police (Amendment) Bill is being drafted to amend the Karnataka Police Act.

An important amendment is being incorporated to ensure a fixed tenure for police officers of certain ranks.

Accordingly, an amendment is being made to the Act to fix a two-year term for the DG & IGP.

Once the amendments are made and the Karnataka Police (Amendment) Bill is approved by the legislature, the DG & IGP would have tenure of two years irrespective of his/her retirement age.

A committee headed by the DG & IGP is working on amendments to the four-decade-old Act. The Bill would be tabled in next session of the legislature if the committee completed its work by then, the sources said.

If the Bill is approved and if it comes into force before the year-end, the present DG & IGP R. Srikumar would get a 16-month additional tenure. Mr. Srikumar, who took over as State police chief on June 30, 2008, is due to retire on January 31, 2009.

While the fixing of a two-year tenure would benefit some officers, as in the case of Mr. Srikumar, in the long run it is likely to affect some others who have a chance of becoming DG & IGP as they would retire before the incumbent completes his extended tenure.

The amendments are being made according to the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in September 2006 in regard to a writ petition (No. 310/1996) that was filed by Prakash Singh and others against the Union Government.

Security council

According to the sources, another important amendment that is being made to the Act is to provide for establishing a State security council to monitor the functioning of the Police Department. The Home Minister would be the chairman of the proposed council which would have the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, a retired High Court judge, the Chief Secretary, the Home Secretary and two non-officials as members, and the DG & IGP as member-secretary.

While suggesting amendments to the Act, the committee headed by the DG & IGP would focus on ensuring transparency in the functioning of the Police Department. Besides, certain archaic rules and regulations in the current Act would be removed, the sources said.

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