HC slams Gujarat govt for not filling police posts in ‘age of unemployment’

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat high court on Thursday slammed the state govt for trying to fill only half of the vacancies in the police department, asking why it did so in this "age of unemployment".
The bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Pranav Trivedi also expressed surprise at the appointment of a DGP-rank officer as chairman of the police recruitment board on August 17, 2023, when the board was not even constituted.
The HC came down heavily on the home department for its slack approach in filling vacant posts of constable and inspector. The court had earlier rejected the home department's "sketchy" affidavit on the numbers put up for recruitment and rejected the govt's explanation.
On Thursday, as the state govt sought more time to file an affidavit, the CJ asked, "In this age of unemployment, when these posts of constables and sub-inspectors are vacant, why would you undertake such a huge exercise of recruitment for only half of the vacancies?" The court found this in violation of a Supreme Court order and threatened to issue a contempt notice.
The HC noted that of 39,880 sanctioned posts, 13,735 posts are vacant but the govt sought to fill only 6,600 posts, leaving almost 50% vacant. There are 6,348 vacant posts of unarmed constable, but only 3,302 are to be filled.
Against 4,200 SRP constables, only 1,000 posts are to be filled. For 1,606 vacant posts of unarmed PSIs, the govt is filling only 1,302. On noting this, the HC asked, "What went behind the decision to fill only 50% of vacant posts and that too when the recruitment exercise has not been undertaken for more than a year?"
Criticizing the authorities' approach in responding to the suo motu PIL - filed at the instance of the apex court - the judges said, "We have taken strong exception to the way this matter is being handled by the home department, which is responsible for maintaining law and order. Vacancies in the police department directly affect the general life of people, who are left at the mercy of officers of the home department who are not ready to even listen to the concerns of this court in the present PIL. All these issues reflect the sorry state of affairs at the end of the home department."
On the request of the govt pleader, the HC adjourned the matter till July 26, asking the home secretary to file an affidavit "in strict compliance with the Supreme Court's directions failing which the court will take an adverse view of the matter".