As per rules, there can be only two DGPs, one of cadre post and other non-cadre; while one heads the state, other can be director general of any other wing, which generally is Home Guards and Civil Defense.

At present, Punjab has five DGP rank officers: the senior most being KK Attri, a 1971-batch IPS officer of Punjab cadre who is posted as DGP (Home Guards and Civil Defense); NPS Aulakh, Punjab DGP and a 1972-batch officer; RS Gill of 1973 batch who is posted as DGP (Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur); two officers of 1974 batch— Mohd Izhar Alam, who is DGP (Prisons), and AP Pandey, DGP (Punjab State Electricity Board).

Principal Secretary (Home) Dr BC Gupta said, “From time to time, we have been telling the Central government that we have vital posts, like chairman of the Punjab Police Housing Corporation and Prisons Department, so senior officers should be allowed to continue.”

Sources said the state government has assured the MHA that now the officers have been promoted, but they would not be elevated further. They said the MHA had objected even when Alam and Pandey were promoted during the Congress government.

The three officers who could face the axe are Gill, Alam and Pandey. During the last regime, both Pandey and Alam held important posts— while former was Vigilance chief, latter held the post of ADGP (Administration). During elections, the Election Commission of India posted RS Gill as Punjab DGP, after removing SS Virk.

An officer said, “Other problem that is looming large is the number of ADGPs: nine. As per rules, there can be only six cadre posts of ADGPs, and the government can create as many ex-cadre posts. Now the government wants to promote three officers from the 1982 batch: Sanjeev Gupta, SS Saini and Suresh Arora. At present, all officers till the 1981 batch are ADGPs.”

But with MHA objecting to three DGPs, the promotion of these three officers could be delayed, he added.