Chandigarh: In a move that has sparked both administrative curiosity and debate, the Haryana government has granted re-employment to retired IPS officer Alok Kumar Roy, appointing him as the Director General of Prisons for a three-month tenure starting October 1, 2025, just a day after his retirement.
The re-employment has been granted under Rule 9(1) of the IPS Cadre Rules, 1954, which allows for the temporary appointment of a retired officer to a cadre post for a maximum of three months, provided no suitable serving cadre officer is available to fill the position.
Roy’s Tenure to Last Until December 31, 2025
Mr Roy, a 1991-batch IPS officer, was serving as the Director General (Prisons) until his superannuation on September 30, 2025. The Home Department issued orders for his re-employment the very next day, citing the same cadre rule. The order states that the terms and conditions of his re-employment will be issued separately.
He will serve as DG Prisons for 92 days, from October 1 to December 31, 2025.
Rule 9(1): Provision and Precedent
Rule 9(1) of the IPS Cadre Rules permits temporary re-employment of retired officers for a period not exceeding three months, but only in the absence of a suitable cadre officer to take over the post. Extensions beyond this period require prior approval of the Central Government under Rule 9(1)(b).
This rule has been invoked several times by past Haryana governments. In 2021, the BJP-led Manohar Lal Khattar government re-employed retired IPS officer K Selvaraj, and in 2018, retired IAS officer PK Mahapatra was granted a similar extension. The previous Congress regime under Bhupinder Singh Hooda also extended re-employment to Chhatar Singh, then Principal Secretary to the CM, in 2013.
Controversy Over Officer Availability
What makes Roy’s re-employment controversial is the fact that several serving IPS officers of the DG and ADGP rank were available and eligible for the post. Among them:
- Muhammad Akil – Recently transferred from the Prisons Department (July 2025)
- OP Singh – DG, Haryana State Narcotics Control Bureau
- Ajay Singhal – DG, Human Rights and Litigation
In addition to these, at least eight ADGP-rank officers are also considered eligible to lead the Prisons Department. Another 1991-batch officer, Sanjeev Jain, currently serving as DG in the Human Rights Commission, is reportedly out of favour with successive governments.
This decision has raised eyebrows in bureaucratic circles, with many questioning the justification of using Rule 9(1) when suitable in-service officers are available.
Expert View
A former senior bureaucrat remarked, “The rule is meant for rare situations where a vacancy cannot be filled immediately from the existing pool. But it seems to be increasingly used as a political or administrative convenience.”
Whether Roy’s re-employment will be extended beyond December 2025 remains to be seen. Any such extension would mandatorily require the Centre’s approval under cadre rules.
