Lucknow, May 31 (IANS): The Uttar Pradesh government appointed 1988 batch IPS Vijay Kumar as the new officiating DGP of the state on Wednesday.

Kumar was given the charge after DGP R.K. Vishwakarma retired on Wednesday. Kumar also holds the charges of DG CB-CID and DG vigilance.

For the third consecutive time, the government has appointed an officiating DGP and not a permanent one.

The government did not send the panel of names to the Centre --a requirement to shortlist names of the right candidate.

According to sources in the home department, based on seniority which has been a precedent since 2020 in appointment of DGPs, Vijay Kumar was chosen.

R.K. Vishwakarma was also made the officiating DGP of the state on March 31, after then officiating DGP D.S. Chauhan had superannuated.

Chauhan was made officiating DGP on May 12, 2022 after Mukul Goel was removed. Thereafter in October, while his six-month tenure was still left, the state government had sent a proposal to the Centre for finalising his name along with other DGs but the Centre had written back asking the reasons for which Goel was removed.

Since then, a stalemate has continued.