GAD,GPSC play blame game over absorbing women DySPs

Officers at the Gujarat Police Training Academy in Karai said these candidates were supposed to start their training as DySP in July 2010 itself. But the state police was subsequently informed that they would join in October that year. That was the last official communication in the matter. GPSC officials say the issue is pending with the General Administration Department (GAD).

GPSC Secretary MA Bhatt said: “We had provided the list of these candidates to GAD in time for further action which is the main controlling body in DySP recruitment,but they have not yet taken any decision on this.”

The GAD,on its part,said the delay was because GPSC has “internal issues” related to recruitment of these women candidates. GAD officials in R Branch said the matter is pending because of “some objections” raised on their recruitment.

Chief Secretary AK Joti said: “The GPSC is an independent body for recruitment and they take their decisions themselves. There is no issue of the recruitment of these women candidates with GAD. The GPSC only knows what the problem is. They do not have to depend on GAD for any decision on recruitments.”

Sources in GPSC,however,maintained that GAD is responsible for the delay as the state government was not willing to take women DySPs in the police force .

The last time DySPs were recruited in the state police were five years back.

A senior officer from the GPSC added: “The state government has always staggered the recruitment of DySPs in general. Moreover,there is an apprehension in the government over recruiting women as DySPs. This is for the first time that women candidates in such a large number have cracked the GPSC exam.”

Most of these women recruits are from distant villages and small towns of Gujarat.

A senior officer dealing with police recruitments remarked : “We have a severe shortage of DySPs in our state and when we have 20 competent women waiting to join the police force,the state government is dragging its feet into the matter.”

Direct DySP recruitments happen only once in five years in the state. After the 20-year freeze on police recruitments was lifted in 2009,the state police did get a breather,but the focus had remained largely on filling some 16,000 posts of constables and police sub-inspectors — of which only 20 per cent have been filled so far.

At present,there are only four women DySPs in the state besides a few women IPS officers. As there are 68 more vacancies of DySP in the state,minimum 18 are to be filled by women recruits.