Chandigarh, Feb 17 (PTI) The Punjab government on Monday shunted out senior IPS officer Varinder Kumar as chief director of the Vigilance Bureau and replaced him with G Nageswara Rao.
Kumar, a 1993-batch IPS officer, has been relieved of the charge and he will report to the director general of police, said an official release.
Rao, a 1995-batch IPS officer, has replaced Kumar, according to an order. Rao was currently serving as the Additional Director General of Police (Provisioning).
“G Nageswara Rao, ADGP/Provisioning, Punjab, is hereby posted as Chief Director, Vigilance Bureau, Punjab in place of Varinder Kumar, Special DGP,” said the order. Kumar was to retire later this year.
The development comes two days after the AAP government issued directions to senior officers including deputy commissioners (DCs), subdivisional magistrates (SDMs) and senior superintendents of police to check corruption or face action.
The Punjab government had also said that to make the officers even more responsive and accountable, feedback about officials like DCs, SSPs, tehsildars, and other field officials will be taken not only from the public but also from the MPs and MLAs in the state.
The appointment of new Vigilance Bureau chief is also seen as the first major bureaucratic reshuffle following the meeting between AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab MLAs in Delhi on February 11.
The meeting had taken place following AAP’s rout in Delhi assembly polls.
New Vigilance Bureau chief Rao brings with him a wealth of experience, having served in various significant positions, including Director of the Vigilance Bureau, Punjab from April 27, 2017 to July 22, 2019, the official release said.
A civil engineering graduate, Rao has been honoured with several prestigious awards. He was awarded the United Nations Medal for his service in the United Nations Mission in Kosovo in 2004.
He also received the police medal for meritorious service in 2011 during his deputation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the occasion of Republic Day, and the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 2023. PTI CHS VSD KVK KVK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.