Kolkata, Oct. 12 -- West Bengal will surpass UP in police personnel strength within the next two years, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari claimed while handing over appointment letters to 11,000 newly recruited police personnel at Netaji Indoor Stadium on Monday.
He said the government would accelerate recruitment to bridge the gap in police-population ratio and strengthen law enforcement across the state.
Adhikari said: "India has an average of 155 police personnel per lakh population, compared with nearly 200 in Uttar Pradesh and just 105 in Bengal. The state government aims to close this gap through large-scale recruitment and improved training infrastructure.
Blaming legal complications over OBC reservation under the previous Trinamool government regime for delays in recruitment, Adhikari said. He added amendments to the law, compliance with Calcutta High Court directions and withdrawal of the state's case in the Supreme Court had helped clear the hurdles. "Recruitment results were declared after the disposal of litigation concerning EWS provisions," he added.
The CM announced an extensive recruitment pipeline. Around 300 Kolkata Police sub-inspectors have already been selected, while recruitment of another 4,000 constables is expected to be completed by December. The state police recruitment board will issue a notification for 9,000 additional vacancies in the last week of November, the CM said.
The government will also recruit 650 police clerks through the Public Service Commission.
Emphasising the need for a trained and disciplined force, Adhikari said police stations could not function solely on the strength of civic volunteers. While acknowledging their contribution, he stressed that regular police personnel must meet prescribed standards of physical fitness, training and professional competence.
He assured recruits that future appointments would follow transparent procedures, including written examinations, physical tests, interviews and reservation rosters.
The government would also send batches of recruits to Assam's Lachit Barphukan Police Training Institute and Gujarat's Rashtriya Raksha University for specialised training, he said, citing Bengal's strategic importance as a border state.
Adhikari also highlighted welfare measures, including an increase in ration allowance from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 from October, and promised implementation of the seventh pay commission's recommendations after receiving them.
Urging recruits to uphold constitutional values and act against illegal activities, he said national security must remain paramount. "Nation first" was the guiding principle, he told the recruits.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.