5,000 police constable vacancies to be filled up this year: K'taka Home Minister

Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Tuesday informed the Legislative Assembly that there are 9,432 police constable vacancies in the state, and 5,000 among them will be filled up this year.

The Minister was responding to a question on shortage of police constables in the state raised by BJP MLA Preetham Gowda in the Legislative Assembly, during the question hour.

”When our government came to power the police vacancy in the state was about 22,000… at one point in time out of total 1 lakh police there was about 35,000 vacancy, but today the vacancy is only 9,432,” Jnanendra said.

Noting that on September 12, 2022 a notification has been issued to select 3,500 constables, he said to select another 1,500 civil constables a notification will be issued in a week’s time.

”So 5,000 vacancies will be filled up this year, and there will not be too many vacancies soon. The respite is that in 20 years this is the first time with very less vacancies,” he said, adding that all necessary measures will be taken to ensure that there is no hindrance or shortage of police in maintaining law and order.

Intervening, JD(S) MLA H K Kumaraswamy said as per rules there should be 22 constables in every police station, but whenever asked either some of them are on deputation or on the bandobast duty.

”…. how to function when such is the situation? The government must ensure that there are adequate number of constables at the station,” he said.

Responding to this, the Minister said the civil police are generally not used or deputed for bandobast, but depending on the situation locally they might be used as per necessity.