Arunachal’s New Rulers: More about 3 former civil servants -- JP Rajkhowa, GS Patnaik and YS Dadwal

Governor Rajkhowa

ON THE night of the Republic Day, the Centre appointed two civil servants -- former Delhi government’s home secretary and IAS GS Patnaik and former Delhi commissioner of police and IPS YS Dadwal -- as advisors to Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, after President of India had given his assent to the union cabinet’s proposal of imposing President’s rule in the state where a revolt by 21 Congress MLAs against their chief minister Nabam Tuki led to a crisis and political instability. Interestingly, Governor of Arunachal Pradesh Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa, 71, himself is…
a retired IAS of 1968 batch and the one who had served as chief secretary of Assam before retiring. As the Governor will run the state now, it will virtually be an administration of three former bureaucrats –Governor Rajkhowa and his advisers, Patnaik, a 1980 batch IAS and Dadwal, a 1974 batch IPS.
As both the advisors belong to UT cadre, they are aware of politics, geography and people of Arunachal Pradesh.
Patnaik belongs to 1980 batch and had earlier served home secretary to Delhi government, vice-chairman of Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and secretary to vice-president of India.
Dadwal served as Commissioner of Delhi Police for 41 months between 2007 and 2010, the longest by any police officer in that coveted post so far. Usually, the tenure does not go beyond three years, but the then UPA government wanted Dadwal’s continuation as police chief of Delhi till the Commonwealth Games was over.
Dadwal hogged the limelight in 2007 when he superseded Kiran Bedi, 1972 batch IPS, currently a BJP leader, to become the Delhi Police chief. Bedi fumed, and openly criticized the decision. Bedi refused to work under her junior and took voluntary retirement.
Dadwal was succeeded by 1975 batch IPS BK Gupta as the police commissioner.
Later, Dadwal joined as Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).