Karnataka state government to even out IAS-IPS discrepancy

Bengaluru: The cadre discrepancies in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) in the state have come to the fore and the government is now planning to bring some parity between the two top notch cadres. While there are 14 additional chief secretaries in Karnataka, there are only four director generals of police (DGP). As per All India Service Rules after completion of 30 years of service an IAS officer is promoted to the rank of additional chief secretary, but the same is not the case with their counterparts in the IPS.

An IPS officer after completing 30 years of service is not necessarily promoted to the post of DGP, which is the equivalent to the post of ACS with their salaries fixed at Rs 80,000 basic because of lack of sanctioned cadre posts. Karnataka for example, has sanctioned cadre posts of eight ACS and two DGPs. As per All India Service Rules for every one cadre post sanctioned by the Centre the State can sanction an additional ex cadre post and under that arrangement the State has 16 ACS and only four DGPs.

To even out the existing disparities in the civil services cadre the government is now planning to write to the Government of India to increase the cadre posts of the DGP from the existing two to minimum five, top official sources told Deccan Chronicle. There are currently four posts of DGP – two cadre and two ex-cadre. The two cadre posts include the DG&IGP and DGP, Homeguards, Fire & Emergency Service.

The two ex-cadre posts of DGP are DGP (Recruitment) and DGP (Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation). According to sources in the government a letter from the Director General and Inspector General has reportedly been sent to the Home Minister with a request to review the IPS cadre in the State and increase the cadre posts for DGP to provide promotional avenues for officers, who have long completed 30 years of service.

While IAS officers of 1984 batch have been promoted to the rank of ACS; the promotion of an IPS officer of 1982 has been withdrawn. The tussle between the two Class One services in the country is not new and is prevalent across all states. Besides, an IAS officer gets two increments more than his batch mate in the IPS. “It has been traditionally so without any justification,” said an officer on condition of anonymity.