Maharashtra government approves recruitment of 15K police personnel
Since the recruitment will be carried out by district police headquarters, cabinet approval and the chief minister’s sanction were required.
Mumbai: In a significant move to strengthen the state’s law enforcement, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday approved the recruitment of around 15,000 police personnel to fill longstanding vacancies across the state. The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at the Sahyadri Guest House. Notably, deputy chief Minister Eknath Shinde was absent from the meeting.
A senior official from the Home Department clarified that the recruitment process will not be conducted by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC). Instead, respective district police units will release advertisements for the vacancies in the coming days. “Once these 15,000 posts are filled, there will be no further vacancies to be filled until December 2025,” the official stated.
Since the recruitment will be carried out by district police headquarters, cabinet approval and the chief minister’s sanction were required.
In a statement, the chief minister office (CMO) said that a one-time special provision has been introduced to allow candidates who had crossed the prescribed age limit in 2022 and 2023 to apply for the relevant posts and participate in the selection process. The recruitment drive follows a review of vacancies in the state police force as of 2024, as well as those expected to arise in 2025.
The vacant posts include 10,908 posts of constables, 234 posts of constable drivers, 25 posts of bandsmen, 2,393 posts of armed constables and 554 posts of jail constables.
Police Constable and Jail Constable posts fall under Group–C category. “The Police Constable recruitment process is conducted at the district level. For this, an OMR-based written examination will be held. The cabinet also approved delegation of the powers to the Additional Director General of Police, Training and Special Units, for carrying out tasks such as inviting applications, scrutinising them, processing them, conducting the physical tests of candidates, and holding the written examination for those found eligible,” the official said.
The Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court had already given the directions to fill the vacant posts. Even the public representatives are also making the repeated demands to fill the vacant posts. “As a result, the recruitment process will now be carried out on priority basis to reduce workload and improve conditions in the police force and prisons,” the officials said.
The cabinet also approved staffing for three new police stations in Pune district, which are in the process of being established. The recruitment of these personnel will follow the same procedure as the state-wide drive. A senior official confirmed that the 15,000 personnel will be recruited within the next six months, and the state will require approximately Rs 500 crore annually for their salaries and allowances.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar welcomed the move, emphasizing the need for additional staff to support the establishment of new police stations. “With rising population in several urban areas, we need to reduce the pressure on our police force. Recruitment of additional personnel is a step in that direction,” he said.
