Get hiring panel going to fill police ranks
The police force in Odisha is staring at a severe resource challenge as its recruitment system remains caught in a bureaucratic maze. A month after ratifying the rules governing the Odisha Uniformed Services Staff Selection Commission (OUSSSC), the new recruitment agency for all uniformed services in the state, the government is yet to appoint its chairperson and members. Meanwhile, the OUSSSC faces a formidable task. Apart from the police, it is mandated to recruit for the forest, excise, commerce and transport departments as well.
After the last drive to hire sub-inspectors ran into trouble, the government ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe the multi-state racket allegedly rigging the examination system. With public anger mounting, the government approved the OUSSSC’s formation last November, and the cabinet ratified the rules for appointing its leadership by the end of January. Yet there has been no movement since, even as thousands of young aspirants wait for the recruitment process to resume. This includes the lakhs of candidates affected by the cancellation of the last two rounds over allegations of irregularities.
The scale of the challenge is undeniable. Nearly 29 percent of the roughly 77,000 constabulary posts in the state lie vacant. At the sub-inspector and inspector levels, the vacancy rate is even higher at 42 percent, with at least 3,400 positions currently unfilled. Even after the OUSSSC becomes operational, it will take months to recruit for such a large number of posts in just one department. Thereafter comes the equally demanding task of training the new recruits using the existing infrastructure and personnel. Deploying them effectively and managing career progression will add further complexity. The umbrella body must also ensure that the entire process is demonstrably more transparent than before.
But none of this can begin until the OUSSSC is made functional. With vacancies mounting at key operational ranks, investigation and crime control are inevitably compromised. The Majhi government must act without further delay.