Today's Witness Monday, 29 April 2024, 11:15 PM, ( Updated at 11:30 AM Daily)
BUREAURCRACY
Saturday, 06 April, 2024 09:16:PM
In an abrupt development, P.V Ramasastry prematurely repatriated to his parent cadre a week ago. He will return to his cadre after almost five years, where the present leadership seems to be battling its internal fight over permanent DGP. Sending back an office senior to DGP has two reasons: 1) Change at the DGP level and 2) Soft Punishment by making him serve below an officer junior to him. However, in the case of Shastri, the first reason seems to have a chance to prevail for three reasons. First is Shastri's competence, which stems from wide experience in paramilitary to state's significant posts involving UP's Law and Order and Vigilance, especially in the time of the Ayodhya verdict in 2019. Top sources say that Shastri is the competent choice to lead the force at the present time. Second- credibility crises and adhocism. UP police face credibility crises at the leadership level as ad-hoc arrangements at the DGP level do not exhort confidence and affect the force's institutional stability. Third- EC and Centre- Centre's displeasure of Additional charge DGPs in the state and, most importantly, the Election Commission's recent move to remove additional charge DGP in West Bengal and state services officers at the DM level in Gujarat. Though Bengal DGP removal may have different reasons, UP's case too is not different; the state requires extraordinary vigilance and attention owing to sensitive constituencies and developing Law and Order dynamics of the state, which may become challenging as Election season gets into full pace. Top sources add that efficiency and strong leadership are still missing in UP police, and an adhocism culture has made the situation even more difficult for some deserving IPS officers of the cadre.
The conundrum lies with the rigidity of the state in DGP selection, which, to some extent, has bypassed the centre in recent times. Though the Model Code of Conduct is in force, the state would not have much say over the DGP and even the centre would not intervene and let the change happen if changing the DGP materialises. In an earlier case, the state government of UP government attempted hard to save its Home Secretary, which shows changing the UP bureaucracy is a hard task, and even institutions also need to face soft retaliations. The realisation of bringing efficiency in coordinated and protective policing at a large scale does not come from bravado policing. It comes from covering the length and breadth of the state that too in Lok Sabha election and Election Commission must pay heed that conduct of smooth elections falls under the ambit of "fair and free elections" and ad-hoc culture of UP police may become an issue in the long run and therefore the case of Shastri as UP DGP deserves merit and stands a good chance to end adhocism culture of UP Police.