THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In order to not give promotions to Havildars who have joined the Kerala Police in Sports Quota, the seniority in battalions is being fixed by bypassing the criteria. With this, the sports havildars who are supposed to reach the post of ASI within a few months can forget about getting promoted.

The draft seniority list has been released irregularly by the battalions, defying the orders of the Kerala Administrative Tribunal and the Home Department. Ineligibles were placed in the seniority list on the basis of provisional promotion date instead of regular promotion date. It is reported that the DGP has received complaints about this.

The reason for the new problem is the long-standing cold war between those appointed through PSC in the police and those who make it through sports quota.

Battalion DIG had directed commandants to prepare the seniority list since January 2012, based on the date of promotion of Havildar. While constables who entered force via PSC become Havildars through promotion, sportspersons are directly appointed as Havildars based on merit.

Constables are temporarily promoted to Havildar for training purposes. It is regularized only when the post of Havildar becomes vacant. If the sports quota appointment is made during the regularization of the temporary promotion, the Havildars will join the service directly. The Havildars who got temporary promotions will be regularized only after this. The sports havildars will get seniority with this. The position of the PSC side is that this will not be accepted. The same issue led to the coup in the draft seniority list as well.

Orders are also overturned

Constables of KAP 3rd Battalion approached the Administrative Tribunal in 2019 seeking seniority based on provisional promotion date, but no favorable action was taken. Subsequently, in order 539/2020 dated February 17, 2020 of the Department of Home Affairs, it was clarified that in such a situation, seniority belongs to sports havildars.

Temporary promotion may end

In the event that temporary promotion in the lower grade in the police is causing such problems, a plan has been initiated to remove it altogether. Currently, no temporary promotion is given in gazetted posts in Police. There is temporary promotion only in lower grades.

"The draft list will be examined and the final decision will be taken only in accordance with the previous court orders and government directives."

-Rahul R Nair

DIG, Battalion