Hyderabad, 21 October (H.S.): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday announced that all vacancies in the state police department would be filled by 2028 and directed officials to increase the ex-gratia compensation for serving Home Guards who die in the line of duty from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

Addressing the Police Commemoration Day parade in Hyderabad, the Chief Minister asked Director General of Police CV Anand to take the necessary steps to implement the enhanced compensation for Home Guards. He said the government had already issued a notification for filling 5,000 police vacancies and remained committed to strengthening the department through recruitment and welfare measures.

Revanth Reddy said the recruitment of 112 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) was unprecedented in Telangana's history. The government had also appointed transgender persons as traffic assistants to promote their dignity and participation in public service, he said.

Emphasising women's and children's safety, the Chief Minister called on police personnel to handle related cases with greater sensitivity and ensure that justice was not delayed. He said protecting women was a collective responsibility of the police and society.

Expressing concern over drug abuse among young people, he urged the police to intensify efforts to prevent drug trafficking and consumption. He commended the EAGLE Force for its work against narcotics and appreciated the efforts of the DGP in strengthening the department.

The Chief Minister said the government was using modern technology to address emerging policing challenges while ensuring that a people-centric approach remained central to police work. He cited initiatives such as TG SAFE to combat food adulteration, SHE Teams for women's safety, the 'Stand With Her' initiative and 'Spandana', which provides immediate protection to women and children during emergencies.

He also referred to the establishment of the Young India Police School to provide educational opportunities to the children of police personnel, from Home Guards to those serving at the rank of DGP.

Revanth Reddy outlined the enhanced compensation for police personnel who die in the line of duty. The ex-gratia amount for Head Constables and Assistant Sub-Inspectors has been increased from Rs 45 lakh to Rs 1 crore, while that for Sub-Inspectors and Inspectors has been raised to Rs 1.25 crore. DSPs and Additional Superintendents of Police are entitled to Rs 1.5 crore, while the compensation for Superintendents of Police and IPS officers has been increased from Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crore.

He described the enhanced compensation as a mark of respect for the families of police martyrs and assured them of the government's support.

Paying tribute to police personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty, the Chief Minister recalled the sacrifices of Dev Singh, Pramod Kumar and Gajula Soumya. He said police discipline and integrity were the foundation of the force and called on personnel to continue working towards a peaceful and secure Telangana.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar