Orders to this effect were recently issued by UT Inspector General of Police S.K. Singh, who approved the minutes of the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC). The DPC recommended confirmation at its last meeting in mid October.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Headquarters) Ajay Kashyap, when contacted, said that so far services of 508 constables recruited till 1988 have been confirmed; "Confirmation is due up to 1995, and in another couple of months we hope to clear about 500 more pending cases," he added.

The decision has been hanging fire for several years. Kashyap added that the confirmation had been linked to the availability of permanent posts, which should not have been the case. The constabulary has been raising the demand to confirm their services at regular intervals, including at the sampark sabhas.

"According to Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines, a post has to be treated as permanent if one has served for more than three years on the same post. This was also upheld by the Supreme Court," the official added. While a large number of these constables have been promoted ad hoc to head constables, the DPC will soon decide from what date the promotions will come into effect.

Kashyap pointed out that only a confirmed employee is entitled to department welfare schemes such as loans. Also, a proper procedure has to be followed to remove him while a temporary employee can be dismissed under Temporary Service Rules.

While employees in other services are confirmed automatically, this is not the case in police. Kashyap added that the entire process of confirmation took about four months. "It's been a laborious task. We had to scrutinise the record of every person," he added. Kashyap said that it has also been decided to organise a DPC meet regularly.