NEW DELHI: The Centre today relieved CISF chief O P Singh for his cadre Uttar Pradesh, where he is expected to take over as the new Director General of Police (DGP).
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued an order allowing a home ministry proposal for "premature repatriation" of Singh, a 1983-batch IPS officer.
According to official sources, Singh (59) is expected to take over as the Uttar Pradesh DGP on Tuesday.
The post has been lying vacant for over a fortnight after Sulkhan Singh retired on December 31.
The Uttar Pradesh government had earlier said that they had requested the Centre to relieve him from Central deputation so that he can head the state police force.
Singh, a gallantry medal winner, has been heading the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) since September, 2016 and has been credited for ushering in some major changes in the work profile and operations of the force, especially in the aviation sector.
Under his initiative last year, the force did away with the traditional system of putting tags on air passengers hand baggage, a move seen as a major game changer in the airport security domain.
He also initiated simpler flying procedures for specially-abled passengers after talking to representative groups of such passengers.
Singh, before heading the CISF, has served as the chief of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and he led his men from the front in a number of relief and rescue operations including the massive earthquake in Nepal in April, 2015.
The Union government is expected to soon appoint a full- time DG for the CISF.
A panel of senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officers will soon be reviewed by the home ministry before the appointment is made by the ACC.