Denied promotion, IPS officer Singh resigns
With multiple reminders to the Telangana government to promote the 1987 batch of IPS officers yielding no results, senior IPS officer, V.K. Singh, has sought premature retirement from service.
His much-anticipated move comes just months before his retirement in November. It is now up to the state government to accept or reject his request. While IPS officers of the 1987 batch have been promoted to the rank of Director General (DG) across the country long ago and many are already serving as DGPs (heads of the police force) in several states, the three IPS officers in Telangana cadre, including Singh, are continuing in the rank of additional DGPs.
They have been awaiting promotion for the last two years. Insiders suggest it is not being done by design as having more DG rank officers would mean more claimants to the top post, which is not to the liking of some officers.
In his letter addressed to Union Home Secretary, Singh, presently posted as director of Telangana state police academy (TSPA) makes clear his anguish, with a tinge of sarcasm, though he does not specifically mention the promotion aspect. “I joined the police force with great hopes to change the police system but I think I have failed in my ambitions. The Telangana government has also not been much impressed with my services. My advice to better the services in the government did not cut much ice. Perhaps my opinion was not considered worth it,'' Singh said. Somewhat sarcastically, he added “I have my considered opinion that I should not be a burden on the government. The government should not be burdened with worthless people.”
Known to be an upright officer, Singh, who hails from Bihar, says that his services can be better utilised outside government service. “I want to work for reforms among people and service to the state of Telangana,” he says, seeking premature retirement from October
2, 2020. Perhaps wary of being hounded by the government, Singh specifies that he has nothing against any government and even thanks the state government for the “best treatment” given to him. “I have learnt many valuable lessons in my decades of service. Integrity, fair play and hard work are not the only things required in service to be successful. There are many other attributes too,” he says ambiguously.
In Telangana, V.K. Singh, Santosh Mehra and M, Gopikrishna are the three IPS officers from the
1987 batch. Of them, Mehra is on central deputation while Gopi Krishna, abruptly transferred out from the post of DG, fire services, is commissioner, printing and stationary, considered a ‘'punishment posting.’