Centre sanctions posts of ADGP, DIG for city

The Central Government has sanctioned posts of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) for Chandigarh. The gazette notification regarding the sanctioned posts was recently issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension.

This development is not going to change the status quo, said a police officer.

Earlier, the UT police was led by an IGP-level officer. In 2017, the then IGP Tajender Singh Luthra, a 1990-batch IPS officer, was promoted to the rank of ADGP by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Subsequently, he was designated as the Director General of Police (DGP), Chandigarh.

Since then, ADGP-rank officers from the AGMUT cadre have been appointed DGPs in Chandigarh even though there was no post of ADGP in the city.

At present, Surendra Yadav, a 1997-batch IPS officer, is the UT DGP. The Chandigarh Police Department has IPS officers from the AGMUT cadre, while the UT SSP is a Punjab cadre IPS officer and the SSP (Security and Traffic) a Haryana-cadre IPS officer.

This marks the second major administrative change in Chandigarh, following the redesignation of the UT Adviser as Chief Secretary. The decision sparked a political controversy, with parties terming it as an effort to weaken Punjab’s claim over Chandigarh.