Lucknow, May 30 -- Speculation about acting director general of police (DGP) Prashant Kumar getting a service extension has intensified two days before his date of retirement. The development comes as the state home department sources said the state government has already sent a proposal to the Union home ministry for Kumar's extension but a reply from the Centre is awaited. Also, Kumar's name was not on the list of five Indian Police Service officers superannuating on May 31 mentioned in an invite sent for a farewell lunch organised on Thursday. Kumar attended the programme to felicitate the officers. Amid this buzz, the long-lasting suspense over the posting of a permanent DGP in U.P. continues. Over six months ago, the state government had formulated a new rule for the appointment of a permanent head of the department of UP police on November 5, 2024. The UP government has been appointing acting DGPs for the past three years. The last full-fledged DGP Mukul Goel (a 1987-batch IPS officer) was removed from the post on May 11, 2022 much before his superannuation in February 2024, following allegations of inaction and lack of interest in work. Since then, the state government has posted four consecutive acting DGPs. An official said that the new rule for the appointment of a permanent DGP stated that only those senior IPS officers with a minimum of six months' service remaining will be considered for the coveted post. He said the incumbent acting DGP could not be considered for the permanent post as his retirement is due on May 31, 2025. The present acting DGP will have to continue in the same capacity (as acting DGP) if he gets a service extension. Another home department official said the state government's new rule diluted the Union home ministry's role in posting a DGP of its choice. The new rule stated that the DGP in U.P. will have a minimum two-year tenure. He said the officer to be considered for the post should have a minimum of six months service left which can be extended by another 1.5 years. A committee headed by a retired judge of the high court would finalise the appointment of a permanent DGP in consultation with other members comprising the chief secretary, one person nominated by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the chairman or nominee of the UP Public Service Commission (UPPSC), additional chief secretary (Home) and a retired DGP. The rules also read that IPS officers working as DG in level 16 of the pay matrix could be considered for the DGP's post, he added. A senior home department official said the Thursday's farewell lunch invite mentioned the retiring officers as senior IPS officer (1989 batch) PV Ramasastry, currently posted as director general Prison Administration and Reform Services, and four others. The four other IPS officers include Prashant Kumar's 1990 batchmate Sanjay M Tarade, who is DG Telecom, deputy inspector general (DIG) of Women and Child Security Organisation Kiran Yadav, DIG Vigilance Arvind Chaturvedi and DIG Personnel Tej Swaroop Singh. The invite was shared by N Ravinder (staff officer to DGP), an additional DG rank official, with IPS officers to attend the farewell lunch organised on the occasion of retirement of the officers mentioned, at Amar Shaheed Bhagat Singh Lounge on the ninth floor of the Police Headquarters (Signature Building) at around 1.30 pm....