Meghalaya home minister Lahkmen Rymbui said that there is a shortage of manpower in the Meghalaya police department as he assured that the government is trying its best to stop all illegalities including the alleged illegal coal mining and transportation in the state.
“Every now and then the people are talking about this. Having said that, the government is trying to do its best to stop all the illegalities in the state,” Rymbui told reporters on March 1.
Stating that there is a constraint from the point of policing, he said that there is a shortage of about 1,800 in the department. “With this shortage, it is not possible for the police to do everything,” he said.
Rymbui informed that the department will be advertising over 148 posts shortly.
“There is a shortage of about 1,800 posts which are lying vacant in the state. I am talking about only the posts of SI and below. The MPSC also is in the process of recruiting officers,” he added.
The Meghalaya home minister said that despite the shortage, he appreciated the police for trying their best to stop all illegalities in the state.
“We are trying to do the maximum possible, so we are doing it and will continue to do it,” he said.
Rymbui said that he cannot rule out whether there is a nexus between militants and coal businessmen.
“I don’t have the report with me that there is a nexus, but you cannot rule out anything. As I said there is no report till date which shows that,” he said while reiterating that criminals will join hands with fellow criminals wherever they are.
On the allegation that there are militant groups moving around in coal-rich areas of West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya, the home minister said that the police have no knowledge about this till now.
