CHANDIGARH: Mr.0.P. Sharma Jan.1, assumed charge as the Director General of Police, Punjab, replacing Mr. K.P.S. Gill, who retired recently. ‘The Chief Minister, Mr. Harcharan Singh Brar, had the first ever meeting safer he took over the reins of the state, with senior police officers under the command of Mr. Sharma in that afternoon as a red alert was sounded earlier in the state.

‘Mr, Sharma, who held the charge of DGP (Intelligence), was appointed the new DGP earlier in the day by the state government.

An IPS officer of the 1962 batch from Uttar Pradesh cadre, he joined the Punjab police on deputation in April 1988. Mr. Sharma, who retired in October last, after attaining the age of superannuation, is on one year extension. He is the senior most IPS officer in the state at present.

Presiding over a meeting of DGPs and ADGPs, Mr Brar appreciated the services of Mr. Gill, who, he said, had done a commendable job in restoring peace and normalcy in the state during his tenure as the DGP, He said that the new year had come with a bigger challenge for the Punjab police to maintain peace in the state in the wake of retirement of Mr. Gill.

‘The chief minister said that the services of Mr. Gill should be remembered for he provided outstanding Readership to the police at a very crucial juncture in the history of the state.

‘The new DGP assured the chief minister and the people of Punjab that the police force was communities and determined to wipe out militancy. Preservation of peace would continue to be the foremost duty and the police ‘would not allow destructive forces to raise their heads in the state again. MADRAS: The Indira Congress, led by Mr. NID. Tiwari is likely to join the National Front, according to Janata Dal leader, Mr. Ram Vilas Paswan. Talking to newsmen, he said the president of the Kamataka unit of the Indira Congress, Mr, Deva raj, had expressed the desire to join the front when he met the latter recently. Mr. Paswan quoted Mr. Deva raj as having said that the national leaders, including Mr. Arjun Singh, were positively inclined in joining the front.

He said the executive of the National Front would meet at Patna on January 2021 and discuss the issue.

The Samajwadi Janata Party and the Jharkhand Mukthi Morcha have already agreed to join the front and the Akali Dal would also take a decision soon, he added.

He said the front leaders were holding talks with the ruling ATADMK in Tamil Nadu on alliance and it was for the latter to announce its decision. He DMK into the front, he said adding that all regional parties which were opposed to the “corrupt” Congress(I) and “communal” BJP were welcome to join the front, Mr. Paswan also said the NF was ‘in favor of admitting the ATADMK into it bat it was that party which had to lake a denizen in this regard.

Some senior Dal and front leader’s tad already held negotiations with the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary, MI Jayalalitha, on inducting her pox into the front.

Article extracted from this publication >>  January 3, 1996