<![CDATA[THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The small state of Kerala will now have a record number of 12 DGPs. With the decision of state cabinet on Wednesday to elevate four senior most ADGPs as DGPs, the police force in Kerala will be a top heavy battalion unlike before. However, as the centre has approved only four DGP posts, all other officers will only be Ornamental DGPs'. They won't get the salaries or allowances of DGP-rank officials. The cabinet decided on Wednesday to promote 1987 batch officers Mr. Tomin J Thachankary , Ms.R Sreelekha, Mr. Arun Kumar Sinha and Mr. Sudhesh Kumar as DGPs. While Mr. Arun Kumar Sinha has been serving on central deputation as director of special protection group, the other three have been working in the Kerala police. Prisons director Ms.R Sree lekha will be the first woman DGP of Kerala. Though a vigilance probe has been initiated against Mr. Tomin Thachankary , the departmental promotion panel recommended him for promotion as he has completed 30 years of service. Five other ADGPs of 1986 batch --A Hemachandran, Mohammad Yasin, N C Asthana, Rajesh Diwan and Shankar Reddy--were recently elevated. The state has only two cadre and two ex-cadre posts of DGP . The two cadre posts are that of State Police Chief and Vigilance Director. But now Mr. Loknath Behera occupies both these posts. Institute of Management director Jacob Thomas and excise commissioner Mr Rishi Raj Singh currently occupy the two ex-cadre posts. The next five DGPs have been promoted using the powers of the state government. Though promoted, the new four DGPs will have to wait to become DGPs until a vacancy arises. With the cabinet decision they have only become eligible for the DGP posts and will not become DGPs immediately . Though the cabinet decided to promote four ADGPs to the DGP post no decision has been taken to fill the vigilance director post. State DGP Mr. Loknath Behera has been holding the post of vigilance director as well after T P Senkumar's retirement. When Mr. Senkumar was the state police chief Mr. Loknath Behra was holding the post of vigilance director. The influx of DGPs in the force was resulted from a political play staged by previous UDF government. They had elevated five ADGPs as DGPs then for ensuring that vigilance director post was given to N Sankar Reddy who was one among the officers promoted. At that time, vigilance cases had been haunting the government in the form of bar bribery cases and solar scam allegations. The normal choice for the director's post would have been Jacob Thomas but the government wanted to keep him out and place Reddy in that office. The LDF had opposed the decision then but didn't do anything to revoke that after coming to power.]]>
