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                                                                                                                                                                                                        Ajay Singhal, Arshinder Chawla, Alok Mittal Among Key Contenders

Chandigarh: The Haryana Home Department on Tuesday issued formal orders for the retirement of officiating Director General of Police O. P. Singh and Muhammad Akil, Commandant General, Home Guards and Director Civil Defence, both of whom will attain the age of superannuation on Wednesday. With the top police post set to fall vacant, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) empanelment committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday to finalise a panel of three IPS officers for appointment as the next Director General of Police (DGP) of Haryana. The shortlisted panel will be forwarded to the state government, with formal orders appointing the new DGP expected to be issued on January 1.

According to official sources, senior IPS officers Alok Mittal, Ajay Singhal and Arshinder Singh Chawla are emerging as strong contenders for the coveted post, given their seniority, service records and range of policing experience.

The UPSC empanelment committee comprises the UPSC Chairman or, in his absence, a UPSC member; the Union Home Secretary or his nominee; the Haryana Chief Secretary; the outgoing state DGP; and a senior officer from among the heads of Central Police Organisations (CPOs) or Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMFs) nominated by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

Earlier, the Haryana government had forwarded a list of five IPS officers, all holding the rank of DGP, to the UPSC for consideration. The list includes Shatrujeet Kapur, Sanjeev Kumar Jain, Ajay Singhal, Alok Mittal and Dr Arshinder Singh Chawla.

As per the revised 2023 guidelines, the zone of consideration for the DGP’s post is restricted to officers holding the rank of DGP in the state cadre at Level-16 of the Pay Matrix, with a mandatory requirement of at least six months of residual service as on the date of vacancy.

The selection process is governed by the landmark 2006 Supreme Court judgment, which mandates that the state government must appoint the DGP from among the three senior-most officers empanelled by the UPSC, based on length of service, an unblemished or excellent service record, and a diverse range of policing experience.

The final decision is keenly awaited, as the new DGP will be tasked with steering the Haryana Police through a sensitive period marked by law-and-order challenges and the run-up to crucial political developments in the state.