Plea in SC alleges deliberate attempt by West Bengal govt to substitute vacancies in police with party workers

A petition was filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to be issued to the State of West Bengal to fill vacancies in the police department and to restrain the government from appointing civic volunteers or civic police in police stations in place of permanent personnel. .Petitioner Abu Sohel through advocate Sarla Chandra submitted that the State government had assured the Supreme Court in 2017 that all the 37,000 vacant posts as existing then in the West Bengal police force, would be filled. However, till date the vacancies remain open with no action from the government to fill up the same, the petition states. .The plea further alleges that the State government instead of filling the vacancies have appointed ruling party workers as "civic volunteers" or "civic police" on contractual basis "to mobilize and compel citizens to make views in favour of the ruling party."."Using the strength by (sic) civic volunteers/ police, the state authorities have been able to mobilize and compel citizens to make views in favour of them and nepotism is being continued and the state of west Bengal is very much reluctant to initiate appropriate recruitment proceedings for the police personnel."Reads the plea.The plea states that the top court had earlier directed that in case of breach of the time line by West Bengal government in appointing the police personnel, "the concerned Director General of Police (Recruitment), as also, the Additional Secretary, Department of Home, Government of West Bengal, shall be personally responsible.".The plea avers that with the upcoming 2021 Bengal assembly elections in mind, the ruling party has been appointing its own workers and keeping permanent appointments in abeyance. ."There is an assembly election likely to be held in the mid of 2021 and to get control over the entire situation the engagement of civil volunteers /police are being increased instead of appointment of police personnel and by the said act and activities the state authorities are trying to curtail the independence of police administration,"the petition says. .It has been further alleged that due to insufficient police constable "peace and tranquility in the state" cannot be maintained and that episodes of violence are on the rise in the state. .The plea avers that even though the the top court in 2013 had asked state high courts to examine the issue of police vacancies on the judicial side by taking suo motu action, no such step has been forthcoming yet in the state.