Behera has been holding a temporary charge as VACB director since Jacob Thomas was removed from the post last March.Thiruvananthapuram: Amid questions about a possible conflict of interest between Loknath Behera’s dual roles as State police chief and director of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB), the state government has written to the Center seeking to downgrade the latter post from cadre to ex-cadre.
In the missive by chief secretary Paul Antony addressed to the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, a request to elevate the Fire and Rescue Services director’s post to the cadre rank has also been made.
Behera has been holding a temporary charge as VACB director since Jacob Thomas was removed from the post last March. The state government has constantly been castigated by the High Court for not making a full-fledged appointment to the post of VACB director.
Under these circumstances, the government has no other option than appointing a new officer to the VACB director post. There are four senior most IPS officers in the state with the DGP rank – Jacob Thomas, Loknath Behera, Rishi Raj Singh, and A Hemachandran. So, a choice should be made from the last three officers since the VACB director post is equal in rank to the DGP post.
The government is inclined to allow Behera to continue as State police chief. Also, it seemingly does not want to appoint any of the other three to the VACB director post.
If the Centre gives approval to its proposal to downgrade the VACB director post to ex-cadre, the government will be able to appoint an ADGP of its choice to that post.
Commenting on the matter, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala has alleged that the LDF government has made the VACB a system to indulge in corruption at will and to protect the corrupt.
“The Vigilance Department has been remaining headless for more than eleven months. Behera was appointed to the post with an intent to sabotage cases against ministers and Left leaders,” he said.
Meanwhile, BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan urged the state government to clarify its stand on the issue of a same ranking officer holding two important positions in the police department. The government allowed Behera to continue in the VACB director post paying scant respect to the directive issued by the Central Ministry of Home Affairs, he alleged.
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