5 IPS officers deputed to posts meant for IAS officers

Y. Maheswara Reddy | NT

The major duties of an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer are to maintain public peace and order, crime prevention, investigation and detection, VIP security, counter-terrorism, tackling smuggling, railway policing, drug trafficking, etc. An Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer’s responsibility is maintaining administrative work. However, Karnataka Government has posted five IPS officers for the posts reserved for IAS officers.

“Deputing an IPS officer to a post meant for an IAS officer is not a good idea. IAS officers are specially trained in administration for a few months. The IAS officers are good at administration. IPS officers are good at controlling criminals. Posting IPS officers for the posts reserved for IAS officers will affect the administration,” opines Azeezulla Baig, a retired IAS officer.

It may be recalled that A Ramesh from Bengaluru Rural has complained to the Union M i n i s t r y o f H o m e A f f a i r s about violations in p o s t i n g of IPS officers for the posts which are r e s e r v e d for IAS officers. The Under Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs wrote a letter to Karnataka Chief Secretary on March 7 to take action as deemed appropriate since the matter relating to transfer/posting of IPS officers comes under the jurisdiction of the state government concerned.

R a m e s h h a s stated in the complaint that five IPS officers are posted as Managing Director of Karnataka Electronics Development Corporation Ltd, Managing Director of Mysore Sales International Ltd, Commissioner of Transport Department, Managing Director of Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation, and C o m m i s s i o n e r of Department of Information and Public Relations.

Social activists have opposed the state government posting IPS officers for the posts meant for IAS officers. They said that administration would affect if an IPS officer is posted for the administrative post.

“There is no need for the government to post IPS officers for the posts meant for IAS officers. IAS officers are meant for administration and the IPS officers are known for maintaining law and order, controlling crime. It is not apt to post IPS officers by succumbing to pressure from politicians,’’ said Sai Datta, a social activist.

Terming posting IPS officers for the posts other than policing as a waste of tax-payers’ money, H.M. Venkatesh, a social activist, has said that it has become a habit for politicians to punish police officers by posting them to the administrative posts. “IPS officers do not know anything about administration. It is unfair to post IPS officers for administrative posts,” said Venkatesh.