West Bengal Moves to Reform Police Leadership Appointments

The West Bengal government plans to establish a selection committee, headed by a retired Calcutta High Court judge, for appointing the state's Director General of Police (DGP). The committee will create new rules for the appointment process, allowing state autonomy from central government approval.

The government of West Bengal is taking significant steps to assert its independence in the appointment of key law enforcement roles by planning to set up a selection committee for choosing the state's Director General of Police (DGP), according to a senior official.

Recently ratified by the state Cabinet, this change in procedure will see a retired judge from the Calcutta High Court preside over the committee. The committee's role will be to formulate a fresh set of rules governing the appointment, bypassing the need for central government approval, which was previously required.

Currently, the appointment process involves sending a list of senior police officers to the Union Public Service Commission, which subsequently suggests three candidates for the role. The state then selects one of the proposed officers as DGP. The newly created committee will work to establish an independent procedure under the leadership of a retired judge, involving high-ranking officials like the chief secretary and home secretary.

(With inputs from agencies.)