84% of dySP posts vacant in Goa police

Panaji: Goa police face an 84% shortage of deputy superintendent of police (dySPs), a key supervisory rank, with most posts lying vacant. At present, SPs are holding additional charge of dySP positions. Chief minister Pramod Sawant, who also holds the home portfolio, said there are 1,036 vacancies.

The sanctioned dySP strength is about 65, including two ex-cadre posts. Of these, 44 are from Goa police and the rest from the Indian Reserve Battalion. The posts comprise 27 for promotion and 38 for direct recruitment.

In Jan, state govt promoted 19 dySPs to SP, further increasing vacancies at the DySP level. It has initiated steps to fill around 30 direct DySP posts, with the personnel department moving a file for approval.

In 2024, the Goa Public Service Commission (GPSC) cancelled the direct recruitment process for 28 dySP posts. Govt informed the Bombay high court that it had decided to scrap direct recruitment.

To provide a level playing field, police inspectors (PIs) were given a five-year age relaxation for dySP recruitment. A 1997 policy mandates that 80% of dySP posts be filled through promotions and the rest through direct recruitment. Currently, promotion posts are filled, while all direct recruitment posts remain vacant.

In April 2021, the high court admitted a petition by PIs challenging the exclusive filling of dySP posts through promotions, stating that direct recruitment would be subject to its final order.

As a result, 25 officers were given “officiating promotions” as dySPs on Jan 1, 2022. Such promotions for gazetted officers are valid for one year and require GPSC concurrence for extension. After their term ended, govt sought GPSC approval to extend it by another year.

Separately, PI Paresh Nevalkar and eight others moved the high court challenging direct recruitment to dySP posts and sought cancellation of the advertisement and selection process.