By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The state police department has clarified that the change of trade was proffered by Meghalaya Police solely to reduce the current number of vacancies of Unarmed Branch Constables (UBCs) that are vacant within the department.
The department released a rejoinder following a news item in The Shillong Times with the title “Unarmed cops against trade change”, which stated that the proposal which was sent to the government is however, still under consideration and is yet to be effectuated through any official notifications or orders.
Moreover, the department said that the mooted change of trade was intimated to all the districts and battalions for information of all personnel who are willing to change their trade and not for the selected few as claimed by the UBCs.
The department stated that change of trade was deemed to be exigent because of the creation of new sub-divisions, police stations, police outposts and other units, resulting in necessity of posting sufficient strength Un-Armed Branch Constables in these various offices and stations. With the creation of these new establishments, the vacancies of Un-Armed Branch Constable also increased, thereby, leading to acute shortage of manpower.
As of date, the established procedure of enlisting a constable is through recruitment process, which commences from the date of publishing the advertisement of vacant posts, which is then followed by submission of applications, scrutinising of applications and other procedures. The police department maintained that the entire method from the day of advertising to the day of completion of training approximately takes more than a year and during the entire process, the department encounters with certain drawbacks particularly paucity of UBCs, which is amongst the pivotal ranks that the department usually depends upon while discharging its official duties.
“It is with this purpose of curbing the constraints within the department, that a proposal was sent to the Government to allow change of trade for Armed Branch Constables who have already served in the department for more than six years and who possessed the desired qualifications of 12th standard and above, along with other eligible criteria,” the department said. Another reason for propounding the change of trade is because the willing Armed Branch Constables have garnered the expertise which is germane to the department, and such proficiency which they have inculcated over the years of service will not be the same with direct recruits who are yet to be accustomed with their roles and responsibilities.
Furthermore, change of trade from Armed Branch Constables to Un-Armed Branch Constables will also enable the department to recruit new blood, which will incalculably invigorate the police force while performing duties pertaining to Counter Insurgency Operations, Law & order, among others.
The police department said that the change of trade was proposed in the interest of public service, in the interest of the ethos as a whole and for rendering services to the citizens which is the foremost and paramount priorities of the department.