Race hots up for key home ministry post

The Centre is discussing the name for a new Special Secretary in Union home ministry with names of Delhi Police Commissioner K K Paul and Special Director in Intelligence Bureau P C Halder doing the rounds.

The post fell vacant after Anil Chowdhry, who rose to the post of Secretary (Internal Security) during the fag end of his career, retired on August 31.

Since the government has cleared the fixed tenure for the posts of chiefs of RAW, Home, Defence and IB, hectic consultations are on for filling the vacancy for the Special Secretary in Home Ministry, a portfolio, which deals exclusively with internal security.

Traditionally, IPS officers have held the posts of Special Secretary (Internal Security) and Paul, Director General of NSG Aashish Mitra, Special Directors of IB P C Halder and Ranjit Das are in the reckoning.

Halder, a 1970 batch IPS officer from Bihar, who was lining up for the next director of IB, joined the race for Special Secretary as it was almost clear that incumbent E S L Narisimhan would get a two-year tenure as DIB.

The next in line was Paul, a 1970 batch IPS officer, who has emerged as a dark horse. Paul's service length gives him an edge over Halder as he retires in February 2008 while the latter retires on January 2007.

Mitra and Das are both UP cadre IPS officers of 1970 batch.