Mumbai: To address the problem of constable shortages across the state, the Maharashtra government has decided to increase the capacity of the 10 police training centres, enabling them to accommodate a total of 5,000 trainees. Currently, the facilities have a combined capacity of 8,400. Once the decision comes into effect, the figure would rise to 13,400. The city's lone training centre is at Marol.
The move assumes further significance as the opposition had slammed the ruling dispensation over its recent decision of hiring 3,000 guards from the Maharashtra Security Corporation on a contractual basis. The existing headcount constraint at the training centres impedes the training process of constables even after recruitment. Every two years, 12,000-15,000 such posts become vacant and the hiring process, which spans two years, further aggravates the problem of manpower shortage. Consequently, cities like Mumbai and Pune grapple with dearth of constables, especially during festivals like Gokulashtami, Ganeshotsav, Navratri, Diwali and Ramzan, which require additional security.
The training period of a constable is one-and-a-half years while it takes additional six months for getting a posting. Covid added insult to injury as the pandemic halted the recruitment process, resulting in piling up of vacancies. The intake capacities of the training centres will be increased by 500 each in two phases; Marol, Daund, Solapur, Jalna and Nagpur facilities will be equipped first, followed by Khandala, Sangli, Latur, Dhule and Akola centres.
