JOIN USBased on the recommendation of a high-level panel comprising top bureaucrats and senior police officers, the State government will request the Centre for an additional 35 IPS posts, official sources said.
The present total strength of IPS officers in the State, including promotees, is 172. However, only 94 posts are of state cadre and these include senior positions like DG&IP, Commissioner of Police, Bangalore City, IGP for various ranges, district SPs among others.
The other posts are ex-cadre like state cadre reserve and posts occupied through promotions. The State government has now decided to approach the Centre to increase the strength of state cadre to overcome the shortage of directly recruited IPS officers particularly at the SP level.
The Centre usually takes up cadre review once every five years. The last cadre review of the IPS in Karnataka was made in 2007 wherein the total authorised strength of IPS was increased from 156 to 172.
While the next increase in intake would have officially been in 2012, the government has decided to go in for a mid-term cadre review to induct new blood into the system to effectively manage top police posts and handle law and order situations, the sources said.
The enhancement in the strength of IPS officers will also help in better cadre management and career prospects and promotions of officers, they added. For civil service aspirants from the State, the enhancement if approved would mean more opportunities to get into IPS Karnataka cadre.
In a similar cadre-review for the administrative services in December last year, the Centre had sanctioned 40 additional IAS posts to the State government.