UP CM Adityanath asks police to recruit 10,000 cops in next 100 days

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday held a meeting with senior officials of the police department and directed them to recruit at least 10,000 police personnel in the next 100 days.

Later in the day, the state home department approved filling up of 5,381 posts already created in the cybercrime, forensic science, social media, STF and the ATS wings among others.

With the beginning of the second innings of the Yogi Adityanath government, the chief minister has been holding review meetings of various departments and issuing necessary directions to further strengthen governance.

Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Awanish Awasthi said that in compliance with instructions of the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, approval for new posts is also being given to ensure the availability of manpower as per requirement in the police force and make the police administration better.

Awasthi said that out of the 5,381 posts, 86 are gazetted category posts and 5,295 non-gazetted.

According to an official statement, the chief minister has also instructed that from the first day of Navratri (Saturday), the police department should run a special campaign for the safety of girls, and the Anti-Romeo squad be activated near the schools and colleges.

"From the first day of Navratri, the police department will start a special campaign pertaining to women's safety. 'Anti-Romeo' squads will be activated near schools and colleges. In the evening, the police will undertake foot patrolling in the busy markets and crowded places," the statement said.

'Anti-Romeo' squads were formed soon after Yogi Adityanath assumed office of the chief minister in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, thereby fulfilling the BJP's election promise to 'protect the honour of women' once the party comes to power.

Dressed in plain clothes, the sleuths -- both men and women -- are generally deployed at public places like colleges, shopping malls, markets, parks, bus stands, stations and even schools.

Meanwhile, an Uttar Pradesh government spokesperson said the chief minister has directed the state's home department to expedite fixing priorities under the 100-day work plan.

Instructions were also issued at the Thursday late night review meeting of the home department to initiate tough action against criminals, mafia elements, and seize or destroy their illegal properties.

The chief minister also laid emphasis on co-ordination among the intelligence department, the STF and the ATS. Instructions were issued to identify top 10 criminals in every police station area and initiate stringent action against them.

He also emphasised on the use of technology to control crime.