Shillong, Feb. 9: The Centre today appointed the director-general of police, Meghalaya, B.K. Dey Sawian, as secretary (security) in the Union cabinet secretariat.
Sawian said he had received the appointment order from the Centre today. He hoped that he would soon be relieved of his duty in Shillong by the Meghalaya government.
Additional DGP Kulbir Singh is likely to replace him as the next DGP.
Sawian claimed to be the only IPS officer in the country to be appointed as secretary (security) under cabinet secretariat as normally IAS officers are appointed to the post.
The duty of Sawian in Delhi is to brief security-related issues of the whole country directly to cabinet secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar who is heading the cabinet secretariat.
The cabinet secretariat also looks after matters related to Special Protection Group and internal security.
K.C. Verma, who was the secretary (security), has recently been posted as adviser (internal security) to home minister P. Chidambaram.
Earlier in December, Sawian’s name figured for the post of special secretary (internal security), ministry of home affairs, but the post went to Raman Srivastava.
Sawian, 58, an IPS officer from the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, 1984 batch, will serve as secretary (security) for more than two years till he retires.
Sawian expressed happiness over his appointment and assured to work with efficiency and dedication. He earlier held the post of inspector-general, BSF, for Assam-Meghalaya-Manipur and Nagaland frontier.
He also oversaw deployment of BSF troops in strife-torn Assam during the anti-Bihari riots in 2003.
Originally from West Bengal police cadre since 1973, Sawian is known for his ability to tackle the Naxalites.
He began his career towards the end of the Naxalite era in West Bengal in the early ’70s.
As IG police (law and order), Meghalaya, he was responsible for tackling communal riots and anti-non tribal agitation in the state for three consecutive years from 1994. As the Meghalaya DGP for two terms, Sawian contained the rapid growth of militant activities.