THE Special Protection Unit (SPU) of Maharashtra Police entrusted with the task of protectingVery Important Persons (VIPs) is struggling with manpower crunch. A total of 940 posts, including posts of 359 officers, are vacant in SPU’s eight units across the State. According to sources, the highest number of 340 vacancies are reported in the Mumbai unit of SPU while 50 posts are vacant at its Nagpur Unit.

As a result, the SPU officials are facing tremendous pressure to provide security toVIPs whose movement has increased in Nagpur. Sometimes, the SPU personnel are continuously working without availing leave. The SPU is assigned the task of providing security and protection to X, Y, Z and Z+ category persons. In the Mumbai Unit, 100 posts of Head Constables, 124 posts of Naik Police Constables, 116 posts of Police Constables are vacant. A total of 22 postsof Head Constables, 29 postsof Naik Police Constables and40 posts of Police Constablesare lying vacant in Pune unit. The Nagpur unit of SPU has 19vacancies of Head Constables, 21 of Naik Police Constables and10 of police constables. The Nashik unit is facing seven vacancies of HeadConstables, nine of Naik PoliceConstables and 10 of PoliceConstables. SPU’s Jalgaon unit is having five vacancies of HeadConstable, six of Naik Police Constables and three of PoliceConstables. Five posts of HeadConstables, nine posts of NaikPolice Constables and Five postsof police constables are vacant in Aurangabad unit of SPU. In the Nanded SPU unit, three posts of Head Constables, five posts of Naik Police Constables and three posts of Police Constables are vacant.

The Aheri SPU unit which provides security to VIPs in Naxal infested Gadchiroli district is struggling with 30 vacancies including seven of Head Constables, 15 of Naik Police Constable and eight of Police Constable. A retired police official said that the personnel recruited for working in SPU must be fighting fit as the nature of work is quite strenuous, further on work also the job is associated with heightened tension. Now, the high number of vacancies in the security unit is adding to on job tension as the rest period of the personnel and offices is getting curtailed and that is something top bosses need to ponder over, he said. He further explained that these days the work profile of SPU men and women is quite hectic owing to the fast and late night working profile of the protectees and therefore the force needs to work with full strength so that the personnel are able to maintain a high level of fitness. The SPU officials are waiting keenly for additional hands to tide over the vacancies and hopefully it happens in action mode, he said.