Sukhbir's direction to DGP disheartens IRB officers, Punjab Deputy CM wants officers to be shifted to IRB as punishment

Patiala : Officers serving in various battalions of Punjab are disheartened after a statement by Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, in which he had asked Punjab DGP to give punishment posting to officers by posting them in reserved battalions. The officers are reported to have sought transfers with their favourite SSPs. Sukhbir had given this statement during a review meeting with senior police officers in Chandigarh on Tuesday. However, numerous battalion officers are serving in various districts and police headquarters despite drawing salaries from the battalions, resulting in shortage of officers in their parent cadre. These recent comments by the Punjab Deputy CM, asking the Punjab DGP to break the nexus of SSPs taking their favourite SHO’s along with them and post these ‘favourite SHOs in the IRBs’, has not been taken well by the officers, who feel disheartened. Officers state: “We do so much hard work and what does we imply from the statement that IRB is for the punishment posting of officers,” said many IRB officers preferring anonymity. A senior officer in the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) confirmed that these comments confirmed beyond doubt that IRB officers were the most unwanted wing of the state police force, despite the fact that they performed the most difficult duties. “We perform duties in the most difficult times and are sent to places like Kashmir and election duty in other states,” they added, claiming that they form almost 50 per cent of the state force.

Highly-placed sources in the police wing confirmed that there was an acute shortage of officers in the IRB, Punjab Armed Police (PAP) and Commando battalions. Officers were unhappy serving there and despite drawing their salaries from these battalions preferred district postings. “Due to difficult duty and no field work, officers do not want to stay here as district police postings are considered to be plum,” they added. Officials confirmed to The Tribune, that while the seven IRB battalions are short of 30 senior officers of the rank of DSP and above, five Commando battalions in Punjab are short of over 20 such officers, while eight PAP battalions are short of over two dozen officers. Various other junior ranked officers also never returned back to their parent battalion, once posted in the districts, resulting in shortage of hundreds of junior staff. The IRB would be celebrating its raising day function on December 21. “Yes there is shortage of officers including DSP’s and SP’s”, claimed IG, IRB, Punjab, RP Meena, who is stationed in Patiala and refused to give any official reason for it. IG PAP, GS Sahota confirmed that though there was staff shortage but the work was not suffering as the commandants were managing it efficiently. “Some promotions are pending and officers drawing salary from us are posted out as the government wants them in the fields”, he added.