Since 1987-batch IPS (retd.) Gupteshwar Pandey bid adieu to civil service through VRS on September 22, Bihar has fallen short of a regular Director Generals of Police (DGPs) for the past two months. Officials say that this is happening after a period of two decades that Bihar has no regular DGP for two long months.
S K Singhal, a 1988-batch IAS officer who is the DG-cum-commandant general of home guards was given an additional charge of the state police chief soon after Mr. Pandey retired. It is being said that a panel of DG-rank officers was sent to the UPSC for the approval but the matter is still pending.
The DG-rank IPS officers who have been included in the panel are Rajesh Ranjan (1984-batch), Shobha Ohatker (1990-batch), Dinesh Singh Bist, Kumar Rajesh Chandra, Alok Raj, A S Rajan, Arvind Pandey, Sheel Vardhan Singh, S K Singhal and R S Bhatti.
Several senior officers are surprised after seeing the delay as the post has been left vacant since September.