Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa police force is grappling with a severe shortage of Deputy Superintendents of Police (DySPs), with nearly 84% of positions currently vacant. This has led to Superintendents of Police (SPs) taking on additional responsibilities to manage the gap at this crucial supervisory level.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who also oversees the home department, revealed that the force has a total of 1,036 vacancies across ranks.
The sanctioned strength of DySPs stands at around 65 posts, including two ex-cadre positions. Of these, 44 are allotted to the Goa police, while the remaining posts fall under the Indian Reserve Battalion. The vacancies are split between 27 promotional posts and 38 meant for direct recruitment.
The situation has been further strained after the state government promoted 19 DySPs to the rank of SP earlier this year, widening the gap at the DySP level. In response, the administration has initiated steps to recruit approximately 30 DySPs directly, with the personnel department moving a proposal for necessary approvals.
However, recruitment has faced legal and procedural hurdles. In 2024, the Goa Public Service Commission cancelled an ongoing process to directly recruit 28 DySPs. The government later informed the Bombay High Court of its decision to scrap direct recruitment altogether at that stage.
To address concerns over fairness, police inspectors were granted a five-year age relaxation for DySP recruitment. As per a 1997 policy, 80% of DySP posts are to be filled through promotions, while the remaining 20% are reserved for direct recruitment. At present, promotional quotas have largely been filled, but direct recruitment posts continue to remain vacant.
The issue has also been under judicial scrutiny. In April 2021, the high court admitted a petition filed by police inspectors opposing the exclusive reliance on promotions. The court ruled that direct recruitment would be subject to its final decision.
In the interim, the government granted officiating promotions to 25 officers as DySPs from January 1, 2022. These temporary appointments, valid for one year for gazetted ranks, require approval from the Goa Public Service Commission for any extension. Following the expiry of their tenure, the government has sought further concurrence from the commission to continue these arrangements.
The prolonged vacancy crisis at the DySP level continues to pose operational challenges for the state police, with administrative adjustments in place until a long-term solution is implemented.
