26 cybercrime police stations on anvil

Vijayawada: Minister for home V Anitha announced that the state government is considering a proposal to establish 26 cybercrime police stations to address the rising challenges in the digital space. She also highlighted that 65 officers from the 1995 batch are currently awaiting promotions to the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).

In response to MLA P Vishnukumar Raju’s query regarding the state government’s reluctance to promote Circle Inspectors, minister Anitha explained that 862 Inspectors of Police have completed the required minimum service of six years.

She noted that creating new posts for these promotions would impose an annual financial burden of Rs 101 crore on the state. Alternatively, upgrading existing Inspector posts would result in an additional average annual cost of Rs 17.99 crore for all 862 positions.

The minister added that DSP vacancies are projected to be 58 in 2024-25 and 56 in 2025-26. Responding to her explanation, MLA Vishnukumar Raju urged the government to consider promotions under the supernumerary category to avoid any financial strain.

Addressing constable recruitment, the home minister revealed that out of 16,862 vacant constable posts, recruitment for 6,100 has been completed, with the selected cadet constables currently undergoing induction training.

This leaves 10,762 posts still vacant. She informed that the director general of police (DGP) has submitted a proposal to fill these remaining vacancies, which is now under government review. The minister pointed out that, following the state’s bifurcation, training facilities in Andhra Pradesh can accommodate only 6,000 cadet constables at a time.

Additionally, she mentioned that proposals have been sent to the Central government for the creation of a tribal battalion. The state has also proposed increasing health insurance coverage for policemen to Rs 15 lakh, aiming to enhance their welfare.