Meghalaya waits for a new DGP

Shillong, Feb 16 (UNI) The Meghalaya government would soon take a call on the appointment of a full-fledged Director-General of Police after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) recommended the names of three senior IPS officers for the post. These include Mukesh Agrawal, KV Singh Deo (both 1989 batch IPS officer) and L Ram Bishnoi (1991 batch). The three officers are serving with the Assam government, as they are from the Assam-Meghalaya IPS cadre. Home Minister Lakhman Rymbui on Wednesday said the process is already on for taking a final decision to choose the new DG of Meghalaya police. “We will choose the best from among the three names recommended by UPSC. The decision of the government will be made known at an appropriate time,” he said. Rymbui said the state government will take into consideration the prevailing situation and the unique nature of the state of Meghalaya, while deciding on the appointment of the new DGP. Asked if Assam’s Special Director General of Police, LR Bishnoi is the front-runner for the top post in the State police department, the Home Minister said, “That is a mere speculation because we, from the state government, have not taken any decision yet. The appointment of the new DGP will take some time.” The Meghalaya government had forwarded the names of five IPS officers of Assam-Meghalaya cadre for appointment as the next DGP after R Chandranathan retired on December 31, 2021. Apart from Agarwal, Deo and Bishnoi, the other two names are S Narayan Singh (1991 batch) and Idashisha Nongrang (1992 batch). Nongrang, who was promoted as Special DGP by the Meghalaya government, is currently the officiating DG in the State. Barring Nongrang, none of the other police officers have served in Meghalaya. In fact, majority of the people, including political parties, had reportedly wanted Nongrang to become the first woman DGP of Meghalaya.