Panaji,July 28: A long-running dispute over promotions, seniority and career progression within the Goa Police establishment has again come into focus, with Police Sub-Inspectors (PSIs) of the 2010 batch of the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) claiming that they have remained stuck at the same rank for nearly 17 years while officers junior to them in the regular Goa Police have moved up the hierarchy.

A detailed chronology prepared by the affected side alleges that although higher-ranking posts from the IRB establishment were merged into the Goa Police Service, the corresponding proposal for a common cadre and common seniority at the PSI and Police Inspector levels was not implemented.

The dispute is presently linked to Writ Petition No. 420/2022 before the Bombay High Court at Goa.

21 DySP, 9 SP-Rank Posts Merged

According to the document, Goa’s first IRB was raised in 2006, the second in 2010 and the third in 2013. With the three battalions, there were 21 sanctioned Police Inspector posts, besides 21 DySP and nine SP/Deputy Commandant-rank posts.

The chronology claims that eligible IRB PSIs were available for promotion from 2011, but PI vacancies remained unfilled for years. Fourteen PSIs from the first IRB were promoted as PIs in 2016 and another seven in January 2019, while similarly placed officers from the second IRB allegedly continued as PSIs.

The document states that in November 2021, the Goa Police Department proposed creation of a common cadre/common seniority between Goa Police and IRB officers. Another proposal sought merger of 21 DySP and nine SP/Deputy Commandant posts from IRB into the Goa Police Service.

The State Cabinet subsequently approved the merger and the government issued an order in April 2022. Amended Recruitment Rules were notified in May 2022.

However, according to the affected officers’ account, while the higher posts were merged, the proposal for common cadre/common seniority at the PSI and PI levels was not accepted.

The issue of a common cadre has previously surfaced publicly. In 2024, Goa Forward Party had also raised concerns that 2013-batch Goa Police officers had progressed to PI while 2010-batch IRB officers remained PSIs, and demanded completion of the common-cadre process.

Retrospective Seniority Raises Questions

The chronology further alleges that Goa Police Inspectors were subsequently granted retrospective seniority from 2013 onwards, whereas no corresponding benefit was extended to IRB officers.

This, the affected side argues, created a situation where Goa Police officers appointed or promoted later could move ahead in the promotional hierarchy, while IRB officers remained without similar career progression.

The 2010-batch IRB PSIs consequently approached the Bombay High Court at Goa in September 2022 through Writ Petition No. 420/2022, challenging the merger of the higher-ranking posts, their non-consideration for promotion as PIs and the absence of common seniority between Goa Police and IRB PSIs, according to the document.

Separate litigation over seniority among Goa Police and IRB inspectors has also resulted in courts directing that promotions remain subject to the outcome of the relevant proceedings.

Contempt Proceedings Filed in 2026

The chronology states that the High Court admitted Writ Petition No. 420/2022 and directed that appointments and promotions arising from the disputed merger and amended Recruitment Rules remain subject to the final outcome of the petition.

It further claims that between 2022 and 2026, promotion orders continued to be issued without recording this condition. The petitioners therefore filed contempt proceedings against the Director General of Police and Goa’s Chief Secretary in March 2026.

According to the document, during the contempt proceedings on June 30, 2026, the High Court directed the authorities to issue an addendum clarifying that the appointments and promotions concerned would be subject to the final outcome of Writ Petition No. 420/2022.

‘Juniors Progressing While 2010 Batch Remains PSI’

At the heart of the dispute is the sharp difference in career progression alleged by the affected officers.

The chronology claims several Goa Police officers progressed from PI to DySP and thereafter to SP within roughly three years following the merger. In contrast, several second-IRB PSIs recruited in 2010 have remained PSIs throughout their service and some could retire without receiving even one promotion.

It further points out that Goa Police PSIs of the 2013 batch — junior in service to the 2010 IRB batch — have already become Police Inspectors and could become eligible for further promotions against posts that were originally part of the IRB establishment.

The affected side argues that both wings function under the Goa Police Department and a common Director General of Police, while their recruitment framework for PSIs is substantially similar.

The IRB itself forms part of Goa’s reserve police structure and is deployed for law-and-order, elections, protection of installations and other duties.

Officers Seek Parity in Promotional Opportunities

The chronology concludes that the issue goes beyond individual promotions and raises broader questions of equality of opportunity, seniority, parity in public employment and fair access to promotional avenues.

The affected officers also point to the operational service rendered by IRB personnel within Goa and during deployments outside the State, including in sensitive and insurgency-affected areas.

Their central grievance is that while the merger opened additional promotional avenues in the Goa Police Service, the accompanying common-cadre mechanism that could have given IRB officers access to those opportunities was left unresolved.