No medal for Bihar police personnel

PATNA: Now it is final. No police medal has been given to the police
personnel normally given on eve of the Republic
Day.

The police headquarters had recommended 20 names, including two for the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Services and 18 for Police Medal for Meritorious Services.

While names of DG (OSD), Bihar Bhavan, New Delhi, J K Khanna and IG (provision) Ravindra Kumar were sent to the ministry of home affairs for considering them for the Distinguished Services Medal, IG (special vigilance unit) Abhay K Upadhayay and DIGs Vinay Kumar and Preeta Verma figured among the 18 officers who were to be given Police Medal for Meritorious Services.

About a fortnight back, the TOI had come out with the report that state's police officials may not get President's Police Medal this year.

According to reliable sources, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) refused to accept the list sent by the police headquarters because it was too late for consideration. Sources said that while officials of Central police organisations (CPOs) met on January 4 to review the all India list for clearing the names of awardees, Bihar's list reached there on January 7, 2009.

Inspite of the several pleas of chief secretary R J M Pillai to the high profile committee members to consider the list, the latter did not bother. This is the third time that the Bihar police personnel are not being given police medals. Earlier, in 2003 and 2006 perhaps on the same ground of `list reaching Delhi late' the police personnel were denied the prestigious medals.

However, amidst this gloomy situation, there is a silver lining as Shobha Ohatkar, a Bihar cadre officer of 1990 batch who is currently posted as additional commissioner of Pune City, was honoured with Meritorious Services Medal at a function held in the DGP's office in Mumbai on Sunday afternoon. Before going on deputation to Pune, Ohatkar served as SP, Darbhanga, SP Vaishali, SP, Special branch and CID and has 36 commendations to her credit during her stint in Bihar.

Source : Times of India