Bengaluru: The State government has finally woken up to the acute shortage in the lower but the most fundamental ranks of the police force and sanctioned additional posts for police sub inspectors (PSIs) and constables (PCs) for the next three years; till 2019, to fill up 90 and 95 per cent of vacancies in the two ranks, without seeking yearly government permission for the same.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle about the Government Orders, which were issued on August 2, Home Minister G. Parameshwara elaborated that there was an “urgent need to minimize the work pressure on the constables and recruitment, taking into account the vacancies that arise annually because of retirement and other reasons was the best and most desired option,” he said. The sanctioned strength of the police force in Karnataka is around one lakh, but the actual strength is around 75,000.
“We have to bridge the gap and this is the first time that the Government has sanctioned, in one go, recruitment for PSIs and PCs for the next three years to facilitate the process and minimize the delay in getting the financial sanction for recruitment every year,” he added.
The Government has sanctioned the recruitment of 629 PSIs as against the earlier sanction of 233 PSIs this year for civil police, armed reserve, finger printing bureau, wireless, Intelligence, Criminal Investigation Department and the Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF).
"For the next two years - 2017-'18 and 2018-'19 we have got the sanction for recruiting 313 PSIs each year. Regarding constables, the government has sanctioned additional 4,048 posts besides the earlier sanction of 3,500.
This year we will be recruiting 7,548 constables followed by recruitment of 4,000 constables each in 2017-'18 and 2018-'19," said Additional Director General of Police, Administration, Praveen Sood.
He added 6,000 constables are already undergoing recruitment and will be posted by the end of this year. "Another batch of 6,000 are about to be appointed. Their recruitment is over and within the next three months they will be sent for training. In all, we are looking at inducting around 19,000 constables to the police force by the end of the financial year," he added.
The overworked constables had threatened to go on mass leave on June 4. The government had managed to broker peace after assuring them that they would address their genuine demands on priority.
