The Supreme Court on Monday sought the personal appearance of home secretaries or authorised joint secretaries of six States together with a definite roadmap to fill up the long-pending vacancies in the States’ police forces.
"We have been persuading you (States) to fill the vacancies since 2013, but you are not doing anything,” a Bench led by Chief Justice J.S. Khehar observed orally.
The court found that Uttar Pradesh has 1.51 lakh vacancies, West Bengal with 37,325, Karnataka has 24,899, Jharkhand 26,303, Bihar 34,500 and Tamil Nadu has 19,803 posts vacant.
TN also pulled-up
Tamil Nadu informed the court that advertisements have been put out for the vacancies.
"Giving advertisements is the first step. You (Tamil Nadu) have taken the first step since 2013,” the Bench remarked.
"We therefore, hereby, direct the home secretaries of six States to assist this court personally or nominate an officer, not below the rank of joint secretary, and provide a definite roadmap for filling up of vacancies," the court said in a short order.
The apex court fixed the next hearing on the plea filed by Manish Kumar for April 21.
The apex court was hearing the 2013 petition which claimed that law and order situation in the country was deteriorating due to a large number of vacancies in police services at all levels across States.
