PAC Report Flags Severe Manpower Imbalance in Delhi Police: Too Many Officers, Too Few Constables
A report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has highlighted a critical imbalance in the Delhi Police’s manpower deployment, revealing a surplus of senior officers at headquarters and a significant shortage of staff at ground-level police stations.
According to the committee’s findings on “Manpower and Logistics Management in Delhi Police,” there is a 4% surplus of personnel at the headquarters, while police stations suffer from a 35% shortfall. This indicates a serious skew in the staff structure — too many at the top, not enough on the ground.
“There exists 4% excess manpower at the headquarters and a concerning 35% shortage at police stations in the audited districts,” the PAC stated in its report.
The panel suggested that senior officers preferring extended postings in Delhi may have contributed to this organisational imbalance, further widening the gap between decision-making and ground implementation.
The report raised an alarm about the heavy workload on constables and station staff, who are forced to work beyond standard duty hours due to understaffing.
“The evident strain on police personnel, working well beyond the prescribed daily hours, underscores the urgency of rectifying these imbalances,” the report said.
It also pointed to newly created police stations functioning without any sanctioned staff strength, and a lack of updates in staffing norms after the separation of Law & Order from Investigation divisions.
The Committee has recommended an urgent reassessment of manpower deployment to match the increasing demands of initiatives like CCTNS, special desks, and specialised units.
“Failing to rectify these disparities not only compromises law enforcement effectiveness but also burdens police personnel unnecessarily. Immediate action with a well-defined strategy is essential,” the panel warned.
In response, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) acknowledged the shortages and attributed them to recent structural expansions, including:
- Formation of 2 new districts,
- 8 new sub-divisions,
- 41 police stations (including 15 cyber police stations),
- 3 essential units — all created without any sanctioned manpower, drawing staff from existing resources.
The MHA clarified that 12,518 new posts had been approved in 2018, but only 5,527 posts have been released so far. The remaining 6,991 posts are still awaiting clearance from the Ministry of Finance.
To address the issue, the MHA confirmed that a comprehensive manpower audit is currently underway.
“The National Productivity Council has started a manpower audit of Delhi Police from 17 April 2023, which is expected to submit its report by mid-August 2024,” the MHA added.
The PAC report reinforces the urgent need for rebalancing the Delhi Police’s staffing model to ensure fair workload distribution and improved policing efficiency across the capital.
