Ranchi, June 9: The row over the salary of two top cops is over. The Union government has approved the creation of an additional post of director-general of police (DGP) keeping in view “the order of Central Administrative Tribunal and also the peculiar circumstances of the case”.

The Centre, however, has asked the state government not to create posts at the apex level (chief secretary and DGP) in excess to the prescribed limit flouting the provisions of All India Services rules.

The Union home ministry has approved the creation of an additional post of DGP on temporary basis by relaxing the rules with retrospective effect from June 30, 2005 to May 31, 2007.

The said communiqué, addressed to Jharkhand’s chief secretary as well as the accountant-general (AG), however, paves the way for disbursement of the pend- ing salary to DGP J. Maha-patra and to DGP (reforms) V.D. Ram.

Mahapatra had not received his salary from July 2005 till he was appointed as DGP in September last year.

The AG had raised objections on the grounds that the posts he held, first DGP (rail) and later DGP (reforms), could not be created as Jharkhand had got just one post in the DGP grade. The AG had also refused to issue pay-slips to Ram after he was posted as DGP (reforms) following Mahapatra’s appointment as DGP.

The problem had its genesis in the state government’s decision to give promotion to two IPS officers, Ram (1973 batch) and Mahapatra, after S.M. Carae retired in July 2005. The then state government posted Ram as DGP and Mahapatra as DGP (rail).

The AG refused to issue pay-slips to Mahapatra saying the state government cannot maintain three posts of DGP. Jharkhand has one sanctioned post of DGP and thereby, it could create one ex-cadre post. R.R. Prasad held the ex-cadre post as DGP (homeguards).

Mahapatra, thereafter, moved the tribunal seeking payment of his salary. After a long-drawn battle, the tribunal asked the government to create a post.