11,109 posts lying vacant in State Police

GUWAHATI, July 6: At a time when incidents of violence and other crimes are increasing in Assam, shortage of police personnel is making it very difficult for the State government to maintain law and order properly.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) Report 2014, 11,109 posts have been lying vacant in the State Police.

“Against the 48 sanctioned posts for DG, Additional DIG, IG and DIG, 15 posts are lying vacant. Against the 632 sanctioned posts for SSP, SP, ASP and DSP, 202 posts are presently lying vacant. Against the 5,542 sanctioned posts for inspector, SI and ASI, 490 posts are lying vacant and against the 24,757 sanctioned posts for personnel below the ASI rank, 10,402 posts are currently lying vacant in the Assam Police,” the NCRB report added.

The situation is such that each of the 51 police stations has been functioning with below 10 personnel and there is not a single police station in the State, especially in its inter–State border areas, with more than 50 personnel.

It may be mentioned that the present manpower strength of the State Police is very low compared to the population of Assam.

Not only the shortage of manpower is dogging the State Police, the support provided to police in the forms of equipment and transport is also minimal compared to other States of the country.

As per the NCRB Report, during 2013, 59 motor vehicles, 54 jeeps and 5 others were provided to the State police. Not a single motorcycle, car, one tonner and three tonner were provided to the State Police.

Worsening the manpower crunch, a large number of police officials and constables are deputed as security guards for MLAs, ministers, top government officials and politicians across the State, a source said.

Whenever a big law and order crisis takes place, the State government seeks Central support in terms of additional security forces. But it can be tackled if the State government takes speedy measures to fill these vacant posts.

(Source) The Sentinel Assam — The Largest Media group of North-East India — focused on news publishing. Combined circulation of the group is over 120,000 newspapers per day, making it the largest newspaper group in the region. The Sentinel is the only English daily in the Northeast India with five editions published simultaneously from Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Shillong, Silchar and Itanagar. For all local, news from Assam, national and international news please visit http://www.sentinelassam.com/