The shortage of manpower in Maharashtra police has become so acute that the home department headed by deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis recently approved recruitment of over 2000 police personnel on contract, through outsourcing.
However, now it has emerged that while home department has approved the proposal, the finance department headed by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar is yet to give its stamp of approval to the same.
The recruitment of policemen on contract is proposed to be done through Maharashtra State Security Corporation (MSSC). MSSC is the body which provides security force for government and semi government establishments and offices.
There is a shortage of over 10,000 police men in Mumbai police alone. The strength of constabulary in Mumbai is over 40,000 of which 10,000 posts are vacant.
After the recent recruitment drive over 7000 posts will be filled. These include 994 police drivers and the rest will be constables. Still there would be a shortage of over 3,000 policemen.
Now, it is this shortage that will be filled by recruiting policemen on contract through MSSC. This contract will be for 11 month period and their main duties will be ‘Bandobast’ (to maintain law and order) and security during the festive season. The policemen recruited on contract will not be given crime investigation duty, it is learnt.
The opposition parties have already opposed the proposal to recruit policemen on contract as they feel it would start a wrong practice.
Allaying the fears of opposition, deputy chief minister Fadnavis had stated in the recent monsoon session of the state legislature that this recruitment would be only for a short period as police force recruited in the recruitment drive will have to undergo 11 months training in the police training schools of the state.
According to a local Marathi newspaper, the proposal had been cleared by the home department on July 24. However, it is been more than a month but finance department is yet to give its accord and make necessary provisions of the fund.
