NO PROMOTION LETTER: ASIS APPROACH HC

CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-led Punjab government’s apparent bid to woo cops in the pre-poll rush appears to have backfired, at least for now. Miffed over the delay in getting promotion letters, the 29 assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs), who were promoted as sub-inspectors (SIs) at a December 15 ceremony by deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, have approached the Punjab and Haryana high court, seeking direction to the government to issue them promotion orders.

The intelligence wing ASIs of Punjab police have alleged that the department is wilfully not issuing the orders because they initiated direct recruitment of SIs in September, which is about to complete and the department wants to make them join first.

“The delay in releasing the promotion orders of the petitioners is wilful and is due to political influence of the direct recruits as they are mostly well-connected politically. The petitioners are being harassed due to this delay, and they have no other remedy,” their counsel RS Bains said.

Recruited in 2011, the batch of 29 had undergone an upper school course at the Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur, which they had completed and passed on December 14 to become eligible for promotion. A day after they passed the course, they were taken to Jalandhar, where the deputy chief minister promoted them at a ceremony and stars were given to them as per the new designations.

The direct recruits quota exists only for the posts of sub-inspector as 40% for direct recruitment and 60% is for promotees, they argued. The high court has sought response from the state director general of police (DGP) and the government by January 19. HTC