RTI reveals the sanctioned police force in Gujarat is based on 1960 census
29 Aug, 2013
An application was filed with the office of the Director General of Police, Gujarat under the Right to Information (RTI) Act seeking to get the details about the sanctioned strength of police force in the state.
The data provided in the reply from the DGP office shows that the current sanctioned strength of police in the state is 92,545, including civil and district armed police. However, the reply also states that the current sanctioned strength is based on the data of 1960 census. The reply says that the sanctioning criteria are very old and the process of ascertaining new criteria is underway. The redesigning of the rules will be in accordance with the state's current population.
However, the data from the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) shows that the strength of the state police force was 57,889 on January 1, 2012. It also shows that, on an average, one constable in Gujarat has to cater to the needs of 571 people and cover an area of 1.89 sq. km.