DHARAMSHALA: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has fulfilled a promise made to Dehra Assembly constituency in Kangra district during the crucial byelection last year when the Congress government was on the verge of collapse in the state.
Winning Dehra, from where Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s wife Kamlesh Thakur was a contestant, had become a prestige battle for the Chief Minister as his detractors, both within the Congress and in the opposition, did not want him to win the seat.
The promise of making Dehra a police district has now been realised as Dehra has officially received its first full-time Superintendent of Police (SP), IPS officer Mayank Chaudhary, who assumed charge recently.
Mayank Chaudhary, who was earlier posted as the SP in Lahal-Spiti, was welcomed with a guard of honour at the district police headquarters before formally taking over his new responsibilities.
Election promise fulfilled amid political challenges
During the Dehra bypoll in 2024, CM Sukhu had personally assured the people that Dehra would receive a full-fledged SP once it was officially designated as a police district.
With Mayank Chaudhary’s appointment, the Sukhu government has delivered on its commitment, reinforcing its position in Dehra.
Until now, the SP of Nurpur held additional charge of Dehra, but with the latest orders issued by Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, Dehra will now have its own independent policing structure.
New SP Mayank Chaudhary sets priorities
An IPS officer from the 2019 batch, Mayank Chaudhary outlined his key priorities, emphasising law enforcement, crime prevention, and strengthening community policing in the newly formed district.
His appointment comes amid a broader administrative reshuffle in the state’s police force. Kullu SP Karthikeyan Gokulchandran has been assigned additional charge of Lahaul-Spiti, while other transfers within the Himachal Pradesh Police Service have also been implemented.
Dehra was officially notified as a police district in 2024, marking a significant administrative shift in Himachal Pradesh. The decision to grant Dehra a separate SP post is seen as a step toward strengthening law and order and improving governance in the region.
Sunil Chadha
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