Maharashtra Minister of State for Home (Rural) Ram Shinde today said the government has planned to recruit 20,000 police personnel but the proposal is stuck with the Home Department due to procedural issues.
Talking to media representatives at the state BJP office here, Shinde also said the government has instituted six fast track courts at six divisional headquarters in the state.
"We have also recruited judges for these courts," he added.
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Expressing satisfaction over the conviction rate, which he said has gone up to 38 per cent this year from nine per cent last year, the minister alleged, "Although the police department is targeted for the low conviction rate, pendency in courts and poor performance of public prosecutors in courts, too, is responsible for it, which is always ignored."
"Therefore, we have decided to recruit public prosecutors through a panel. If he has to be given an extension, we will consider his performance in the court. His performance in convicting criminals should be at least 25 per cent," Shinde said.
According to him, during the Congress-NCP regime, former state Home minister late R R Patil had recruited 12,000 police personnel every year for four consecutive years but the recruitment for the fifth year remained incomplete.
"12,000 posts have been lying vacant since the last year. Moreover, another 6,000 posts got vacated and 2,000 more posts will be vacant by December this year," he said.
"We have to recruit 20,000 policemen but the proposal is still pending with the Home Department due to procedural issues," Shinde said.
Replying to a query, he said he was not sure when the proposal will get the necessary approvals. "First, the matter will be considered by the General Administration Department, then Finance and finally, the proposal will be sent to the cabinet for approval," he said.
Shinde said increasing security through CCTV surveillance and reduction of crime is the top priority of the government.
He said more than 5,000 CCTV cameras have been installed in South Mumbai and will be officially inaugurated in the first week of November.
"Pune has been covered under CCTV surveillance. Nashik, too, has been placed under CCTV surveillance. It is now the turn of Nagpur," the minister said.
