DIG’s unprecedented record: 580 transfers in 28-day tenure

Uttam Chand says: ‘just removed stagnation, followed policy guidelines’

SUMIT SHARMA

JAMMU: In a state where the governments are often accused by opposition parties of turning transfers and postings of officials into a cottage industry for their frequency and political motives, a middle rung police officer has set a new record which is a challenge for the government and the Police headquarters to either rescind or accept and justify.
A Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) transferred 580 policemen in one go in his 28-day tenure of posting, creating ripples in the department and setting tongues wagging. But the officer himself sees no wrong in it as he says that he has just removed stagnation.
Posted in the Rajouri-Poonch range on January 9, 2017 as DIG, Uttam Chand, IPS, ordered mass transfers in one go which caused resentment among the subordinate police staff in the twin districts and has become a talking point in police circles.
The irked transferred cops told The News Now that the DIG, who attended office for only eight days in his 28-day tenure after joining as DIG Rajouri-Poonch range, ordered bulk transfers of 580 personnel before leaving for Central deputation.
Among the 580 policemen transferred, mostly are lower rung cops (Constables and Hawaldars). The transferred cops are now resting all their hopes on DIG Deepak Kumar Salathia, who is yet to join his new assignment.
Talking to The News Now, DIG Uttam Chand admitted having effected the mass transfers and said that he had done so keeping with the policy of the police department.
He said that as per policy there should be 50 per cent local cops and 50 per cent outsiders in every district. He said that when he joined, he found that nearly 80 per cent of the cops were posted in their respective home districts.
“As it was against the police department’s policy, and viewing it as detrimental for policing, I constituted a committee consisting of the SSPs of both the districts and decided the transfers,” said DIG Uttam Chand, who left for Central deputation on February 13.