Meghalaya political parties seek ‘local’ DGP

The Meghalaya BJP unit is batting for a woman IPS officer as the outgoing DGP faces a case for allegedly using a fake registration number for his official vehicle.

: ‘Vocal for local’ has attained a new meaning in Meghalaya.

Three political parties, including the State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party, have sought the appointment of a “local” woman IPS officer as Meghalaya’s next Director General of Police.

They went vocal about their preference for senior IPS officer Idashisha Nongrang as the next DGP after a case was filed against the State’s incumbent police chief, Lajja Ram Bishnoi for allegedly using a fake registration number for his official vehicle.

G.K. Iangrai, an Assistant Inspector General of Police suspended for alleged misappropriation of funds, lodged a complaint against Mr Bishnoi on May 9 for using the registration number of the Meghalaya Transport Department’s sedan on his Assam-registered luxury multi-utility van.

Mr Bishnoi will step down on May 19.

“As a constituent of the National People’s Party-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance, we will impress upon the State government to appoint Ms Nongrang as the DGP,” Titosstarwell Chyne, the working president of the United Democratic Party said.

A Khasi tribal woman as the DGP would be historic, he said.

“It will be a grave injustice if Ms Nongrang, who can ensure a better connection between the police force and the people due to her knowledge of the local conditions, is overlooked,” Batskhem Myrboh, the spokesperson of the Voice of the People Party said.

The BJP has also batted for Ms Nongrang, one of three names the Union Public Service Commission has recommended for the Meghalaya DGP’s post. The other two are the Border Security Force’s Additional Director General (HR), Ram Prasad Meena and the Central Reserve Police Force’s Additional Director General, Deepak Kumar.

“We shall soon meet Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and urge him to appoint Ms Nongrang as the DGP. Apart from being a local, she is the senior most among the recommended names and has a vast experience of working with the Meghalaya police,” Mariahom Kharkrang, a retired IPS officer and State BJP spokesperson said.