National Disaster Response Force gets new DG in Atul Karwal

PS officer Atul Karwal on Monday took charge as the new director general (DG) of the NDRF, the federal contingency force for combating man-made and natural disasters.

The 1988-batch Indian Police Service officer of Gujarat cadre was handed over the ceremonial baton by his batchmate and incumbent NDRF chief S N Pradhan.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last week issued the order appointing Karwal as the new NDRF DG.

The government order for Karwal had said that the post of NDRF DG, usually an additional DG of police rank post, is being "temporarily upgraded to the level of DG on personal basis for a period of two years from the date of joining the post or untill further orders, whichever is earlier". 

Karwal has been serving as the director of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (NPA) located in Hyderabad.

Karwal, a professional mountaineer, will continue to hold the additional charge of the NPA till the government appoints a full time chief.

The National Disaster Response Force was raised on January 19, 2006 as a federal contingency combat wing to undertake specific tasks of relief and rescue during natural and man-made disasters or life threatening situations. It has 12 operational battalions based in various parts of the country while four more have been sanctioned by the Union government and are being raised.

Pradhan, who belongs to the Jharkhand cadre of the IPS, has recently been appointed as the full-time DG of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

The anti-narcotics agency, recently in news due to controversies and allegations of extortion linked to October raids on a cruise in Mumbai, got a full time head after over two years.

Its last full-time DG was IPS officer and current Odisha DGP Abhay who was appointed as the director of the NPA in July, 2019.

Following this order, current Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana held the NCB DG charge in an additional capacity and when he was appointed as the Delhi Police Commissioner in July, Pradhan held the post as an additional charge. 

IMAGE: PTI