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The Bombay High Court on Thursday asked Maharashtra Police whether it was geared to tackle the issue of vacancies that will be created due to retirements every year and suggested setting up of more training centres for the force.
A Division Bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and A P Bhangale made the observation while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) highlighting large vacancies in police force.
"Every year there might be a percentage of police officers retiring from the force thus creating more vacancies. Are you (police) geared up to tackle this issue? You need to have more training centres so that the number of police personnel recruited after training is double than those retiring," Justice Khanwilkar said.
Asked by the Bench as to how many police officers retire every year in the state, Additional Public Prosecutor Prajakta Shinde put the figure at 10 to 15 but this failed to convince the Judges.
"How can only 15 persons retire every year from a force with a strength of over two lakh. Ask some senior police officer to remain present on the next date," the court said and posted the matter for further hearing on March 25.
The HC was informed two additional training centres will be set up soon and by December 2013 the number of posts lying vacant in the police department will come down to 4,900.
An affidavit filed last year by N M Shinde, Deputy Secretary, Home Department, stated that 26,985 posts of police officers were vacant in the state.
