‘Not Backdoor Appointments’: Police Department insists all appointments are legitimate
Applicants at a test venue during the Nagaland Police Open Recruitment Rally. (Photo Courtesy: Morung File via IGP Hqr Kohima)
Kohima, February 29 (MExN): In view of the recent statements issued by certain quarters with regard to the appointments of Constables in the Nagaland Police, the Nagaland Police Department on Saturday issued a statement asserting the existing legal and procedural provisions for the appointments of the Constables.
In the statement, Director General of Police, T John Longkumer sought to “clarify categorically that none of the Constable appointments made in the department are backdoor appointments.” He contended that the appointments, which were made by the respective Unit Commanders, are in accordance with the established Rules, Notifications and Standing Guidelines of the Government.
Police Dept exempted from P&AR memo
Since Police Department primarily deals with law and order duties, it said that vacancies cannot be kept for long. As such, the Personnel & Administrative Reforms’ Office Memorandum No. AR-3/Gen147/2007 (Pt), Dated December 7, 2016, while setting out the procedure for filling up Grade-III & IV Posts in Government Departments, has exempted the Police Department from the purview of this Memorandum, it said.
The statement called attention to the Nagaland Police Manual Part-III, Rule 20(A), where “the Unit Commanders viz Commandants of NAP Battalions and SsP of the DEF are delegated the authority for appointment of Police Constables.” The criteria for appointment such as age, physical standards, medical qualification, etc, are laid down under Nagaland Police Manual Part – III, Rule 21,22,23,24 and 25.
Additionally, it said that a Scrutiny Committee was constituted following a State Government order issued on September 5, 2018, "tostreamline the excess appointment of Police Constables/ NCEs." The Committee led by IGP (Hqr) with DIGP (Hqr) and AIGP (Adm) as members scrutinized applications received by the Units and at PHQ.
The Committee after thorough scrutiny of the applications had to obtain the concurrence of the DGP and forward the eligible candidates to various Units. On receipt of the selected list from PHQ, the Unit Commanders appoints the candidates after ensuring that the eligibility criteria are fulfilled. All appointments were done against the clear existing vacancies, the statement read.
Open recruitment & training backlogs
On the appointment of the 206 constables, the Department clarified that an Open Recruitment Rally for filling up of 206 regular vacancies in the post of Constables was conducted in 2019 despite there being no mandatory provision for an Open Recruitment in the Nagaland Police Manual or any other Order issued by the State Government.
Since there was no Training Session for the year 2019, either in NAPTC or in PTS, Recruit Constables Trainees during the year 2020 is an accumulation of backlogs of Open Recruitment and those appointments made by the Unit Commanders through the PHQ Screening Committee and includes all such appointments from last few years, the statement read.
In the whole process, the Backward Quota and 33% women reservation quota for appointments in the DEF is followed strictly, it asserted.
High Level Committee report
Following the matter of appointments being tabled during the recently held Assembly Session of Nagaland Legislative Assembly, it said that the State Government constituted a High Level Committee vide Notification No.POL/ESTT/RECRUITMENT/1/2020 Dated February 20, 2020, headed by Addl. Chief Secretary level Officer.
This committee was tasked to examine and study all matters and procedures relating to recruitment of all rank outside the purview of the Nagaland Public Service Commission in the Police Department and recommend necessary changes/ modifications for streamlining as well as for enhancing transparency in the mode and manner of the entire recruitment process.
In this regard, the committee has submitted this report to the Government, which is under examination, the statement read.
As such, the Department reiterated that the appointments in question were “made in the same capacity and authority in practice since the creation of the Department” and not ‘backdoor appointments.’
Further, it informed the public that “any attempt by any Unions/Associations or individual to delay or stop the training of the newly appointed Constables will adversely impact the functioning of the Department in particular and the law and order in general.” The training institutes namely NAPTC and PTS located at Police Complex Chümoukedima are professional centers of excellence and have been conducting training of the Recruit Constables for the last many years catering to the need of the state at large, it added.
