61,000 police posts vacant,admits Patil

State home minister R R Patil Thursday admitted that 61,000 additional personnel are required across ranks in the Maharashtra Police. Replying to a ‘calling-attention’ motion about the state’s plan to beef up security in Nashik for the Kumbh Mela of 2015,Patil said the DGP had sent a letter to the home department stating that 61,000 posts were vacant.

To increase security in Nashik,its police commissioner had asked for 3,528 posts to be created. “We are in the process of creating and recruiting for these posts. While there is an urgent need to drastically recruit police personnel to fill up the vacant posts,we also have to deal with budget constraints,” said Patil.

He added that the government had sanctioned Rs 51 crore for installation of CCTVs in the city before Kumbh Mela.