The Bihar police headquarters in Patna. Telegraph picture

Patna, Sept. 1: Decks have been cleared for the promotion of three inspector-general (IG) rank officers of Bihar cadre to the additional-director-general (ADG) of police rank.

The posts of ADG fell vacant after the promotion of four IPS officers of 1977 batch, including Abhayanand, in the director-general rank (DG) on August 24.

Sources in the state police headquarters said the proposal for promoting three IPS officers of the 1984 batch has been sent to the chief minister’s secretariat for approval. “Once their names for the promotion are cleared, a formal notification will be issued by the home (police) department,” a senior police officer said.

Those whose names have been recommended for promotion to the ADG-rank are — Abhay Kumar Upadhyay, K.S. Dwivedi and Rajesh Ranjan. While Upadhyay is posted as IG in the special vigilance unit, Dwivedi is holding the charge of IG (operation). Ranjan is currently posted as IG (modernisation) at the state police headquarters. Earlier, the vigilance department cleared the names of the three IPS officers. Vigilance clearance is mandatory for promotion, said a senior IPS officer posted at the state police headquarters.

What is baffling is that three batch-mates of Abhayanand, who took over charge from the outgoing director-general of police Neel Mani on August 31, have not been posted even after a week of their elevation to DG rank. An official notification about their elevation to the DG rank was issued by the home (police) department on August 24.

As a result, all the three officers — Ashok Kumar Gupta, Shafi Alam and R.C. Sinha — still continue to discharge their duty as ADGs. While Gupta is posted as ADG-cum-managing director of Bihar Police Building Construction Corporation, Alam is posted as ADG (human rights). Sinha is posted as ADG (civil defence).

With the retirement of Neel Mani on August 31 and DG (homeguards) U.S. Dutt to follow suit a month later on September 30, 2011, a total of five vacancies in the DG-rank exist. Four posts have already been filled up with the promotion of 1977 batch IPS officers.

Manoje Nath (1973 batch) and U.S. Dutt (1976 batch) are already in the DG rank and posted as DG (training) and DG (homeguards) respectively. One more post in the DG rank would fall vacant after the superannuation of Dutt by the end of this month.

Under such circumstances, V. Narayanan (1977 batch) may be elevated to the DG rank. His batchmate Arun Choudhary, who is on central deputation, was recently made special DG, Central Industrial Security Force, despite the fact that Choudhary is the junior-most IPS officer of the 1977 batch in Bihar.

There are total six posts in the DG-rank in Bihar.