STATE POLICE DEPARTMENT PINES FOR ANNUAL TRANSFERS!

Mumbai: With most routine transfers having been put on hold for the past three years due to the pandemic, Maharashtra’s 1,87,729 policemen find themselves in a rut.

Normally witnessed annually in May, these 50-60,000 general transfers, which cut across the ranks from police constables to senior police inspectors have been stalled for the last three years. This year, despite May having entered its last week, the transfers are yet to be affected, leaving listless policemen pining for a change in their place of daily duties.

Due to the pandemic, general transfers for the fiscal years, 2020- 2021 and 2021-2022 were deferred in the police department, which also curbed 25% of transfers that were in fact ordered to remain on paper only.

With the state having lifted all pandemic-related restrictions--including mandatory mask-wearing--in April in keeping with the ebb in COVID-19 cases, expectations of transfers were keenly anticipated, even as Maharashtra’s workforce returned to offices.

The Police Commissioner, in urban areas and, District Superintendents of Police in rural areas were expected to carry out the transfers from among police sepoys (1,00,858 total staff strength), police constables (51,220 force), assistant sub-inspectors of police (17,071), police sub-inspectors (12,280) and police inspectors and senior police inspectors (6,300).

Attempts to reach Director General of Police Rajnish Seth did not elicit a response.