Kerala: Women officers to lead IPS body

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The IPS association on Tuesday elected DGP and commandant general of fire force R Sreelekha as the president and IG (south zone) Harshitha Attalluri as the secretary of the association. It is for the first time that the key office bearers of the association that has been male-dominated for years, are making way to women power.
The office bearers are elected formally for the first time, after framing the bylaw, according to which, senior-most DGP (barring the state police chief), who is willing would be the president of the association.Even though DGP (prisons and correctional services) Rishiraj Singh was the first choice for the post of president as per bylaw, it is learned that he expressed unwillingness to be the president of the association. Following this, the next seniormost member R Sreelekha was chosen for the post.
Though the bylaw allows the secretary to be elected, no one except Harshitha Attalluri had filed the nomination, following which she was elected unopposed. The association was given a formal shape and a fresh bylaw was drafted as there were repeated demands from officers that several issues relating to IPS officers should be aggressively taken up with the government. tnn