Outgoing Tamil Nadu DGP Shankar Jiwal made Chairman of first Fire Commission

Outgoing Tamil Nadu Director-General of Police and Head of Police Force Shankar Jiwal is set to take over as the first chairman of the Fire Commission, constituted by the State government, from September 1.

The government issued an order in this regard on Friday. The Additional Director (Administration) of Fire and Rescue Services, and Member Secretary, CMDA, are among the other members. The Commission will implement technological innovations in fire and rescue operations, and regulate the issuance of fire licences and fire safety certificates to buildings.

Farewell parade

Meanwhile, on Friday evening, a grand farewell parade was held by the police force in honour of Mr. Jiwal and Tamil Nadu Police Housing Corporation Chairman Shailesh Kumar Yadav, who are retiring on August 31.

The parade was conducted at Rajarathinam Stadium in Egmore, and drew the participation of different contingents of the force. Senior police officers and their families, and retired officers witnessed the event.

Mr. Jiwal is a 1990-cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer who joined the force as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mannargudi. He served in the force in various capacities, and became Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai Police, in 2021. Mr. Jiwal was appointed DGP and HoPF in 2023.

In his farewell speech, Mr. Jiwal said, “The journey is long and pleasant. So we will keep meeting, and look forward to providing any assistance to you, and also seek assistance from you as and when required. No other department has the homogeneity and bonhomie that the Police Department has.”

Mr. Yadav, a 1993-cadre IPS officer, began his career as an ASP in Tirunelveli in 1995, at a time of intense caste and communal unrest. Later, he served as the Commissioner of Police in Tiruchi and Madurai, Inspector-General of Police, South, and ADGP, Welfare, Idol Wing CID. He is currently DGP/Chairman of Tamil Nadu Police Housing Corporation.

Describing the anti-Sterlite protests in Thoothukudi in May 2018 as a deeply challenging law and order situation he had faced in his career, Mr. Yadav said, “While our action was procedurally fair and later upheld by the CBI and the NHRC, the loss of 13 lives remains a lasting tragedy. Over 100 individuals were charge-sheeted for instigating violence, but the pain of those deaths still weighs heavily on me. I offer my heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their loved ones.”

Mr. Yadav also commended the courage and commitment of the officers who were on the ground during that crisis. “In the volatile situations of the Thoothukudi and Jallikattu incidents, I firmly believed in leading from the front, and keeping the force motivated, focused and procedurally fair. These moments tested me, but also revealed what policing can be at its best. In a democracy, our actions are always subject to public and judicial scrutiny, and rightly so. Though that process of scrutiny was painful, it remains a part of the profession we have chosen. I faced it with honesty and courage,” Mr. Yadav said.