Representative image of IPS officers.
Credit: DH File Photo
New Delhi: With around 240 senior posts in paramilitary and central agencies remaining vacant due to non-availability of IPS officers, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has written to states telling them they have not recommended “sufficient” number of officers for filling up these vacancies from the rank of Superintendent of Police to Inspector General.
Letters were written to all states except all union territories, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura asking them to forward “sufficient nominations” of IPS officers, especially at the level of SP to IG at the earliest to enable the MHA to fill up the vacant posts.
There are a total of 239 vacancies in 17 police and security related organisations – one each vacancies for Director General and Special DG, two for Additional DG, 25 for IG, 81 for Deputy IG and 129 SPs.
The highest number of vacancies are in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) where there are vacancies of one IG, 33 DIGs and 50 SPs. In CBI, there are three vacant posts of DIG and 54 SPs.
The National Investigation Agency has 19 vacancies – one ADG, four IG, one DIG and 13 SPs - while BSF has vacancies of six IGs and ten DIGs.
The letter recalled the 14 December, 2023 communication inviting nominations of IPS officers for filling up vacancies.
The latest letter dated June 7 said, “it is to reiterate that your state/cadre has no sent/recommended sufficient nominations of IPS officers for deputation for filling up vacancies at different levels especially from Superintendent of Police to Inspect General in Central Police Organisations (CPOs) and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
States have been claiming that most officers prefer to stay in their cadre posts for a longer period before opting for central deputation.