Chandigarh: The empanelment committee of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Tuesday shortlisted three IPS officers for the appointment of a regular DGP in Punjab.Punjab will have the discretion to appoint one of them as the top police officer in the state. The panel shortlisted the three names in a meeting in Delhi, choosing from a list of 14 IPS officers sent by Punjab govt.While sources said acting DGP Gaurav Yadav and two other officers of the 1992 batch were shortlisted on Tuesday, there was no official confirmation. Punjab chief secretary KAP Sinha and additional chief secretary (home) Alok Shekhar, who were part of the committee, did not respond to phone calls.In the UPSC-mandated process to appoint regular DGP of the state, Yadav figured at number three in terms of seniority in the list sent by Punjab to the UPSC.He is now believed to be the frontrunner for the post of regular DGP in the backdrop of the fact that AAP hand-picked him as acting DGP in July 2022 and continued with him.Punjab’s list included four officers of the 1992 batch, including Yadav.A 1992-batch officer, Sharad Satya Chauhan, was the senior- most officer in the list. Another officer of the same batch, Harpreet Singh Sidhu, is also senior to Yadav.The fourth 1992-batch IPS officer who figured in the list of 14 was Kuldeep Singh, who is junior to Yadav. Punjab’s list also included three officers of the 1993 batch and seven of the 1994 batch.The UPSC initiated the process on Feb 18 by seeking a proposal of eligible officers from Punjab after the Supreme Court, on Feb 5, slammed multiple states, including Punjab, for relying on “acting” DGPs. The apex court reiterated strict compliance with the UPSC-led appointment process established in the landmark Prakash Singh police reforms case.
