SHILLONG:
The state government has decided to complete the recruitment process to address the shortage of manpower in the police department within this year, given the shortage of manpower in the department.
Informing this after chairing a meeting at the police headquarters, Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong said that the shortage of manpower in the police department is not less than 3500 to 4000, and immediate recruitment is the only way forward to meet the shortfall.
“Drive to fill about 1000 plus vacant posts under different categories is currently being conducted, the personal interview is still on and it will be over in another 2-3 weeks. Following which they will be appointed, and again the next session of recruitment drive will immediately take place and we will complete the whole recruitment drive within this year,” Tynsong said.
He said that once the recruitment process is complete, the department will overcome one of the major challenges — shortage of manpower in the state police department.
According to him, the government will try its best to ensure better policing and boost the morale of the police besides maintaining the law and order in the state of Meghalaya.
Asserting the need to increase the manpower of the police department, Tynsong sad, “The police department is the biggest organisation as far as government department is concerned; we have around 16,000 police personnel and now we need to increase this and discuss about how to create new sanctions.”
He said that Manipur has a manpower of 26,000 personnel, whereas Meghalaya has only 16,000, which is a matter of concern.
Speaking on the infrastructure front, the deputy chief minister said that the Director General of Police (DGP) has been asked to send all the requirements to upgrade the infrastructure. It was noticed that quite a number of police stations and SP offices do not have their own buildings.
He also apprised media persons about plans to upgrade the cyber cell and forensic lab.
“Of course, we cannot do it in one go but in phase wise and I will try my best to get maximum sanction (for construction of) SP offices, quarters of the SP and police officers and then come down to the police stations, where some are still functioning from rented houses. We wanted to make sure we have our own buildings and offices,” he said.
Tynsong also said that the government would also construct good barracks at the police outposts including the 7 newly created outposts along the Meghalaya-Assam border.