GUWAHATI: The Assam police is currently facing a critical shortage of both personnel and vehicles, as revealed by recent documents from the state’s home department.
The shortages are affecting the force’s ability to operate efficiently, with vacancies reported across various high-ranking positions.
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According to the report, the Assam police has a sanctioned strength of 79,852 personnel, which includes 4835 members from the Assam Police Radio Organisation (APRO).
However, the force is currently operating with 12,485 vacancies, amounting to a shortfall of 15.64% of its required manpower.
Among the most notable gaps are in senior leadership positions.
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Three out of six sanctioned posts for Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) remain vacant.
Similarly, three out of 14 Inspector General of Police (IG) positions and nine out of 15 Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) roles are unfilled.
The shortage extends to the Superintendent of Police (SP) rank, where several key positions, including Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Commandant, and Senior SP, are also vacant. Out of a total of 147 sanctioned SP posts, many remain unoccupied.
The situation is equally concerning at the Additional SP level, with 68 out of 168 positions vacant.
Furthermore, 146 Deputy SP positions out of a sanctioned 483 remain unfilled, indicating a widespread personnel shortage across all levels of the Assam police.
In addition to the manpower shortfall, the Assam Police is also facing a significant deficit in vehicles, which is hampering its operational capabilities.
The Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) estimates that the force needs 7800 vehicles to function optimally.
Currently, the police have only 5543 vehicles—both owned and rented—available, which is just 71.06% of the required number.