THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The stiff opposition from a section of IAS lobby notwithstanding, the Home Department is all set to announce the formation of commissionerate system in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram cities. A decision in this regard is mostly likely to be announced during the next Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, top ministry source told Express.
Under this system, the commissioners will have the powers of executive magistrate, hitherto held by District Collectors. Express had earlier reported that the police top echelons were still pushing for the formation of police commissionerates despite resistance from IAS officers.
Police officers felt the decision will help the police mount quick actions without waiting for nod from the over-burdened bureaucratic set up.
As per the plan, the commissionerate will be manned by a commissioner, of the rank of IG or above. Currently, the Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram commissioners are of the rank of DIG.
“The plan is to give actionable power to the police officers. Usually, the police officers have to wait for the response of the IAS officers in contingency period and that’s a tiring procedure. Besides, the police officers will now be more accountable for their activities since they have absolute control of things,” said a senior Home Department official.
Once the commissionerates come in to existence, Kochi is most likely to see current Ernakulam Range IG Vijay Sakhare being appointed as commissioner, while Thiruvananthapuram commissioner’s post would be offered to Headquarters IG Dinendra Kashyap to prompt him from dropping the plans to go on a central deputation.