By Sanjeev Kumar Singh Chauhan

New Delhi, Nov 22 (IANS): The government will soon name the top police officers in the newly carved Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

The crucial name for the job of maintaining law and order in the valley post abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution will be decided

at the meeting of the Joint Cadre Authority (JCA) slated to be held immediately after the winter session of Parliament or even amid the ongoing session.

For the first time, representatives of the two new UTs will also attend the meeting to discuss the new police chief of the provinces, besides Goa.

The Union Home Secretary will chair the meeting and the Principal Secretary or another secretary will take part in this sensitive meeting.

This time around the meeting will also be attended by Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik.

Usually, this meeting is held soon after the Parliament session.

However, given the current situation of an Assembly election set to be declared anytime in the national capital -- the process could be affected if the model code of conduct is invoked.

Also ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, the Centre has to decide whether incumbent Commissioner Patnaik, who retires in January, will get an extension or not.

This apart, following the sudden demise of Goa Director General of Police Pranab Nanda, that post also lies vacant, and needs to be filled.

Rajesh Malik, Special Commissioner (General Administration) of Delhi Police is retiring at the end of this month (November 2019). The final seal of the name of Rajesh Malik's successor can also be put in the meeting.

While the Tis Hazari court was vacated on November 2 on the orders of the Delhi High Court after the clash between police and lawyers, the Special Police Commissioner's (Law and Order) chair in the northern zone has also not yet been filled.

Until recently there is no permanent arrangement, as currently Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Satish Golcha is heading the chair temporarily.

Similarly, the promotion of Rajesh Khurana, Joint Commissioner of North Zone in Delhi is also scheduled in the near future. From the point of view of station seniority, Rajesh Khurana, Neeraj Thakur (Joint Commissioner Special Cell) and Anand Mohan (Joint Commissioner New Delhi Range) are up. So along with promotion, his transfer out of Delhi is also fixed.