2,832 personnel in state police against sanctioned strength of 3,486
Shillong, Feb 26: The state police force is facing a manpower shortage with over 650 vacancies across various units, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong in-charge Home informed the Assembly on Thursday.
The current strength of the state police is 2,832 personnel against a sanctioned strength of 3,486, he said.
In reply to a query, Tynsong said police stations have 1,431 personnel against 1,843 sanctioned posts, outposts 380 against 503, Traffic branch 368 against 439, CID 107 against 121, and Special Branch has 546 against 580 sanctioned personnel.
He also clarified that police reserves draw 859 personnel from the District Executive Force as required, with no separate sanctioned strength.
Replying to UDP’s Olan Sing Suin’s query on how the government planned to fill the vacancies, Tynsong said, “This will be completely addressed in the new advertisement.”
VPP MLA Brightstarwell Marbaniang raised concerns over Meghalaya’s police-public ratio, citing Bureau of Police Research data that places the state at 455 police personnel per lakh population, compared to Nagaland’s 1,136 or Mizoram’s 568.
Tynsong countered that Meghalaya’s current ratio was 197.65 and met the BPR&D criteria.
“Wherever we decide to create new police stations, we will examine the need for side-by-side creation of posts,” he added.
On allegations of non-policing duties, Marbaniang complained of constables being deployed for household work at officers’ residences.
Tynsong acknowledged the issue and said, “If there is any misuse of manpower from policing to non-policing duties, I will examine it and make sure such things do not happen.”
After Marbaniang pressed the matter, the deputy chief minister said, “Point noted.”
NPP MLA Celestine Lyngdoh requested a Traffic branch for Umsning, citing congestion along a 600-metre stretch.
Tynsong said the matter was “being examined seriously” and added that home guards were being deployed in highly needed areas as a temporary measure.
Responding to another query, he confirmed that the Mawkroh police outpost “is very much functional.”
