The Punjab State Assembly passed the Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill, 2023, to amend and substitute key clause and sub-clauses in The Punjab Police Act, 2007, for the appointment of state DGP.
- If the bill is enacted, the state government will appoint a DGP of its own choice.
Key points
- As per the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in former DGP Prakash Singh petition on police reforms, the state government is supposed to send a panel of eligible officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) which will shortlist three officers from the panel and the state government would select an officer of its choice among those three.
- As per the UPSC norms in prevalence, the State government is supposed to send a panel of eligible officers to the five member committee of the UPSC.
- The 2006 SC order stated that the DGP should be selected from among the three senior-most IPS officers with a minimum service record of 30 years, who have been empanelled for promotion to that rank by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
- The officer should be provided a minimum tenure of at least two years, irrespective of the date of retirement from service.
- However, the Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill, 2023, passed by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on on June 20 circumvents that procedure, empowering the Punjab government to form a seven member Empanelment Committee to form a panel of three senior-most officers, out of the pool of the eligible officers, based on their length of service, very good record and range of experience for heading the police force.
- The amendment Bill which amends section 6 of the Punjab Police Act 2007 also has a provision which reads, “The provisions of this section shall prevail notwithstanding anything contained in any judgement, order or decree of any Court”.
- The Punjab government in the State has underlined “public order” and “police” appearing in the State list under the seventh schedule of the Constitution of India, 1950.
