Various police units in the state invite the chief minister, deputy chief minister, Home minister, cabinet ministers and local guardian ministers for inauguration of a police unit or other functions on a regular basis. Upset over the fact that district police heads invite the state Director General of Police (DGP) or other senior IPS officers at the last minute for important events being organised by the department at the district level, the DGP’s office has shot off a letter to all district police chiefs, asking them to adhere to protocol and inform the DGP’s office well in advance about such events.
The letter, issued through ADG (Administration) Anup Kumar Singh, mentioned that the state police chief and other senior officials were being invited to events at the last minute and their names were being used on the invitation card just for the sake of formality. The letter states that this was not in line with the discipline of the police force.
Sources said that the letter followed an instance where the DGP received an invite for the inauguration of a police building in a commissionerate in western Maharashtra a few hours before the function. The event was attended by senior government officials.
Various police units in the state invite the chief minister, deputy chief minister, Home minister, cabinet ministers and local guardian ministers for inauguration of a police unit or other functions on a regular basis. The letter mentioned that even though the invite bears the name of the state DGP, no consultation is held with the DGP’s office, something that the state police chief expressed unhappiness with.
The letter further said that henceforth if any function was being organised where other dignitaries are invited, the DGP’s office must be kept in the loop about the same. It also mentions that even other senior officers are not alerted by the local police units about the function to which they are invited, which was not in line with police etiquette.
An official said that usually when a police building or any new facility is inaugurated, since it is constructed by the Public Works Department (PWD) or Maharashtra Police Housing department, officials invite the CM or deputy CM for the inauguration. Invites usually are issued in the name of the state police department that is headed by the DGP.