BHUBANESWAR: Overworked and stressed by the lockdown enforcement and contact tracing of Covid-19 cases, Odisha Police is all set to get additional forces to assist them during the pandemic as the State Government has approved re-engagement of 2,394 retired personnel as Special Police Officers (SPOs).Sources at the Home department said the SPOs will be deployed for a period of three months or actual filling of existing vacancies, whichever is earlier.
“The SPOs will be engaged against the vacancies in different districts. The monthly consolidated remuneration of the personnel will be guided by the Finance department’s 2018 order,” an official told The Express.The personnel would be drawn from those retired from State Police or central armed police force. The official said, care will be taken to ensure that persons suffering from any co-morbidities are not deployed.
Odisha Police had earlier moved the Government seeking re-engagement of retired personnel following extension of lockdown last month as large-scale vacancies took a toll on the workforce. The police not only stood guard 24x7 amid extreme conditions and came to the rescue of people at the time of their need, they contributed majorly in tracing of contacts of Covid positive cases.
Of the 26,709 sanctioned posts in different districts and urban police districts, 2,394 posts in the rank of Inspector, Sub-Inspector (SI), Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) and Constables are lying vacant. Of the sanctioned 748 posts of Inspectors, 25 are lying vacant, 2,065 SIs and 573 Constables are in position against the sanctioned strength of 2,736 and 19,789 respectively. More than 30 per cent posts are lying vacant in the rank of ASIs as 2,311 are posted in place of 3,436.
The State Police is facing difficulties for deployment of adequate manpower at different containment zones and quarantine centres due to large-scale vacancies. “Uninterrupted round-the-clock deployment on roads and containment zones is adversely affecting the sensitiveness and moral of the existing manpower,” said a police officer.
The Government has also given its nod for contractual engagement of additional 470 Ex-Servicemen in Odisha Special Striking Force (OSSF) for a period of six months to assist police during the pandemic.
“The engagement of 470 personnel is over and above the existing sanctioned strength of OSSF. The State Police Headquarters will review their performance after three months and they will continue for next three months if found satisfactory,” the Home department official added.