Over 5 lakh vacancies in police forces: govt

Over five lakh posts are vacant in police forces in various states, government told the Lok Sabha today.

"The sanctioned strength of total police force as on January 1, 2011 is 20,64,370 and the actual strength is 15,63,301 with a vacancy of 5,02,420," Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran said during Question Hour.

He said at present there are 131 policemen per one lakh population as against 173 policemen per lakh population, which is the norm prescribed by the Bureau of Police Research and Development.

Ramachandran dismissed claims of members that certain states were discriminated against by the Centre in allocation of funds for modernisation of police forces.

"We do not discriminate between states. We follow a formula prescribed by the BPR&D," he said.

Ramachandran said it was the responsibility of state governments to impart training to state police personnel in its police training institutions.

"It is the responsibility of state governments to fill the vacancies. State governments have been advised from time to time by the Ministry of Home Affairs to fill existing vacancies in state police forces to deal with law and order problems," he said.

Ramachandran said in 2011, as many as 20,248 AK-47 rifles, 16,734 Glock-17 pistols, 7,760 Glock-19 pistols and 3,641 Glock-26 pistols have been given to various states and Union Territories.

As many as 2,220 SIG-556 assault rifles have been allocated to Gujarat, he said.

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