Jaipur: Ending weeks of speculation and interim leadership in state police, the Rajasthan govt Thursday appointed senior IPS officer Rajeev Kumar Sharma as the new Director General of Police (DGP). The 1990-batch officer of Rajasthan cadre assumed charge in the evening and was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour at the police headquarters here.Sharma’s appointment follows his premature repatriation from central deputation, where he served as the Director General of Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) in New Delhi. His return fills the leadership void created after former DGP UR Sahoo was appointed Rajasthan Public Service Commission chairperson on June 10 and the brief interim charge of the state police force held by DG (ACB) Ravi Prakash Meharda, who retired on June 30.In a formal order, the Department of Personnel announced that Sharma will serve as the head of state police for a period of two years, irrespective of his age of superannuation or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He has also been placed in the apex pay scale (Level 17) with a fixed monthly salary of Rs 2.25 lakh.Speaking the media shortly after taking charge, Sharma expressed gratitude to the state leadership, saying, “I thank the Chief Minister and the state govt for the trust they have placed in me.” Emphasising his commitment to public service, he said, “I will fulfil this opportunity to serve the people with utmost dedication and sincerity.”Outlining his priorities, Sharma said the focus will remain on crime control, improved behaviour of police personnel and people-friendly police stations. “Each police station must be approachable for common citizens and police personnel should demonstrate good conduct,” he stated.He also stressed the importance of modern policing and tackling new-age crimes. “There will be effective efforts to control the growing menace of cybercrime,” he said. He added, “We will strive to make Rajasthan a model state in the country in terms of policing.”Sharma brings with him a diverse career spanning over three decades. He previously served as DG ACB, Director of Rajasthan Police Academy and DG State Disaster Relief Force. His experience at the field level includes postings as SP in Jodhpur, Jhalawar, Dausa, Rajsamand, Bharatpur and Jaipur North. He also served CBI at Jaipur and Delhi and handled Jaipur’s traffic division.Originally from Mathura, Sharma holds MA and MPhil degrees. His first posting was in 1992 as Assistant SP in Jodhpur City. He was promoted to DIG in 2006 and later served in Crime Branch at the police headquarters. For his distinguished service, he was awarded the Police Medal in 2006 and the President’s Police Medal in 2014.
Focus will be on people-friendly policing, crime control, cyber security, says DGP | Jaipur News
