No decision on appointment of new DGP: Virbhadra

Dismissing media reports about a Punjab IPS cadre officer likely to be appointed as Himachal Pradesh DGP, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said no decision has been taken on appointment of the next police chief.
"No decision has been taken so far about the new DGP and there was no question of writing to Punjab, Haryana or any other state in this regard," Virbhadra told reporters here.
Present DGP B Kamal Kumar, a 1982-batch IPS officer, is superannuating on July 31. Name of S K Sharma, a 1983-batch IPS officer of Punjab Cadre, is doing the rounds for the post.

IPS officers of the state cadre Somesh Goyal, Sanjay Kumar and S R Mardi are also seen as contenders for the top post.
According to reports published in a section of media, the government has sought inter-state deputation of Sharma for appointment as DGP.
"It is all rubbish," the chief minister said, reacting to the reports.

The reports also claimed none of the three senior most IPS officers in the hill state fulfils the mandatory 30 years of service for the post.
Sharma is currently posted as additional director general, human resource development, training and community policing, in Punjab.
At present none of the senior IPS officers have completed mandatory 30 years of service for appointment as DGP but there have been instances when IPS officers with less than 30 years functioned as DGP for sufficient period of time.

DGP I D Bhandari, currently posted as home guards and fire services DGP, is the senior most in the IPS cadre but he was removed by the present government in the wake of phone tapping controversy as he was heading CID when illegal phone tapping took place during the previous BJP regime.
Somesh Goyal is the next senior most officer but he is currently on deputation with Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), while Sanjay Kumar is on deputation with the Railways and Mardi is serving as additional director general of police, CID.