The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has requested the names of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers in West Bengal to select a new permanent Director General of Police (DGP). Currently, Peeyush Pandey is serving as the acting DGP. The state government is in the process of shortlisting officers for recommendation to the Commission.
In all likelihood, Anuj Sharma, a 1991-batch IPS officer currently heading the West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services Department, is a strong contender for the permanent DGP role based on seniority. Other potential candidates include Peeyush Pandey, Natarajan Ramesh Babu, Siddh Nath Gupta, and Sanjay Singh.
Following the retirement of the previous acting DGP, Rajeev Kumar, the state government appointed Piyush Pandey as the acting DGP. Due to delays in sending the names to UPSC, the Union Government had not approved a permanent appointment. The Supreme Court may intervene to resolve the appointment deadlock soon.
