Central Administrative Tribunal stays state government order to reduce DGP Ratnakar Baral’s pay

By- Rinku Khumukcham

Imphal June 8, 2012: 

Credibility of the state government top functionaries has landed in frying pan as a decision made by them regarding the appointment of 6 IPS officers to the rank and scale of DGP have to be reviewed for three times according to the interference of the higher authorities.

 After the state government was compelled to review its decision over the appointment of the six IPS officers to the rank and scale of DGP as according to the directives of the Union Ministry for Home affairs, the Central Administrative Tribunal, Guwahati bench has order to stay the decision of the state government review screening committee meeting for degrading of DGP Ratnakar Baral.

In an order of the Central Administrative Tribunal, Guwahati Bench, the cancellation of the DGP pay from Ratnakar Baral was stayed until the state government proof legal validity of the decision made by them.

Ratnakar was appointed as the DGP of the Manipur after replacing the then DGP Y. Joykumar on Jan. 5 this year after the Election Commission of India has directed the state government to comply with their order. The procedure followed by the state government in selecting Baral to the top cop post was however turn out to be the violation of the Supreme Court ruling over the appointment of DGP. According to the ruling the DGP was to be selected from among the three senior most top IPS officers of the state.

The Union Ministry for Home Affairs intervene the matter and directed the state government to review the decision. The review committee meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary DS Poonia later cancelled the order for promotion of the 6 IPS cadre from the rank and scales of the DGP. This again was stayed by the Central Administrative Tribunal Guwahati Bench on the ground that the state government authority had failed to understand the directives of the union home ministry.

 The series of breach of protocol by state government authorities over the appointment of DGP and ex-cadre post has been following by the ISTV news from the beginning. The question right now is that when the Home Minister of the state G Gaikhangam has promised to streamline the police force into a discipline force, the appointment of the top post in the police force still remain a mess due to lack of seriousness among the top bureaucrats.