UPSC 'shortlists' panel for Punjab DGP's post

But Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu was against the appointment of Sahota.Later, after facing pressure mounted by Sidhu, the state government appointed 1986-batch IPS officer Siddharth Chattopadhyaya as officiating DGP until a regular DGP is appointed out of a panel of three IPS officers shortlisted by the Union Public Service Commission.

The Union Public Service Commission is learnt to have shortlisted a panel of three IPS officers for the appointment of a regular director general of police in Punjab. A meeting of the UPSC for the appointment of the Punjab DGP was held in Delhi on Tuesday. Names of senior IPS officers Dinkar Gupta, V K Bhawra and Prabodh Kumar were doing the rounds but there was no official confirmation on this. Out of the three shortlisted IPS officers by the UPSC, the state government is to finalise the name of one officer. At present, Siddharth Chattopadhyaya is the officiating DGP of the state.

The Punjab government had sent a list of 10 IPS officers, including Chattopadhyaya.

Punjab will get its third DGP in a span of three months.

After Charanjit Singh Channi took over as the new chief minister in September last year, the 1988-batch IPS officer Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota was appointed the officiating DGP, replacing Dinkar Gupta. But Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu was against the appointment of Sahota.

Later, after facing pressure mounted by Sidhu, the state government appointed 1986-batch IPS officer Siddharth Chattopadhyaya as officiating DGP until a regular DGP is appointed out of a panel of three IPS officers shortlisted by the Union Public Service Commission.