68 sub-inspectors in Mumbai ask for transfer to Maoist-hit Gadchiroli

Tired of the long working hours and poor living conditions in Mumbai, 68 sub-inspectors (called police sub-inspectors or PSI in department jargon) have requested a transfer to Maoist-hit Gadchiroli. With the Mumbai police facing staff crunch, all the applications have been rejected.

The Mumbai police have 2,850 PSIs at its 94 police stations and need at least 1,200 more. PSIs are part of the core of any police station in Mumbai, handling multiple responsibilities from investigation to patrolling.

“Sixty-eight PSIs from Mumbai said they wanted to be transferred to Gadchiroli. We are understaffed, with 500 vacancies in the PSI cadre. We turned down all the requests,” said Rajkumar Vhatkar, inspector general of police.

According to police sources, a majority of the applications cited hectic work as the prime reason for transfer. “PSIs from small towns in Maharashtra find it difficult to work in Mumbai, which has a very high crime rate. They prefer smaller centres such as Gadchiroli where the duty hours are relaxed,” said a high-ranking official.

Also, after serving once, the officer is never transferred to Gadchiroli in his career. Some prefer it as once they are promoted to the rank of a police inspector, they can opt for other cities or districts. “A PSI on desk duty handles a lot of complaints in a day. PSIs know that if they ask for a transfer in any other district or village, they may not get it, but it’s hard to refuse a request for a transfer to Gadchiroli,” said an officer from Mumbai police.

More than 750 PSI-rank officers, who wrote the exam in March 2017, are being trained and will join the force in October.

“In such a scenario, it is not possible to transfer any PSI-rank officer out of Mumbai,” said Vhatkar. Twenty-three PSIs from across the state, excluding Mumbai, were recently transferred to Gadchiroli.

Taking note of the trend, senior Mumbai police officers are coming up with ways such as an eight-hour shift to reduce stress. “Stress is an occupational hazard in the line of duty. We conduct workshops and hold yoga sessions to help relieve the stress,” said a senior IPS officer, requesting anonymity. Former Mumbai police commissioner MN Singh said, “There are housing and other problems in Mumbai. But if PSIs refuse to work, who else will do it?”