DW BUREAU / Chandigarh Senior IPS officer Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota has been given the additional charge of the Punjab DGP, according to an official order issued on Saturday. The development comes after DGP Dinkar Gupta, a 1987-batch IPS officer, proceeded on leave. Sahota, a 1988-batch IPS officer, is presently holding the charge of the Special DGP (Armed Police, Jalandhar). According to the order, Sahota has been "given the additional charge of the DGP, Punjab, in addition to his own duties during the leave period of Dinkar Gupta". It will come into force with immediate effect, as per the order. The change in the head of state police force came two days after the Charanjit Singh Channi-led government appointed Anirudh Tewari as the Chief Secretary after shunting Vini Mahajan. Dinkar Gupta is the husband of Mahajan. After the change of guard, it was certain that the top bureaucrats of the state would be replaced. Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi congratulated Sahota for taking the additional charge. "I am fully confident that he will serve the people of Punjab to the best of his ability. Wishing him all the best," said Channi in a tweet. After assuming the additional charge of the DGP (Head of Police Force), Sahota Saturday held a meeting with the top brass of the Punjab Police. Sahota, while terming all initiatives taken by the Punjab Police in past as extremely laudable, said that he will continue to work for further betterment of the state police. "Further strengthening the fight against drugs and keeping vigil on bad elements besides maintaining law and order in the state are among my top priorities," said the DGP in a statement here. Sahota has served in various capacities in the state. Prior to the posting as the Special DGP, Armed Battalion, he remained the Special DGP of the Punjab Home Guards and Commandant General, Civil Defence. He had also served as the Additional DGP, Punjab Armed Police, Jalandhar, ADGP Railways, ADGP Prisons, ADGP Administration, Director Bureau of Investigation and other major posts in Punjab Police. (editor@dailyworld.in)