Police department to raise awareness among cops applying for voluntary retirement

Kollam: The state police department has set out to raise awareness among cops who are preparing to retire voluntarily from service. Incidentally, the number of police personnel retiring voluntarily from the force has been on the rise since 2019. 

As per the latest decision, one-day classes are being planned for those mulling on taking voluntary retirement, in order to provide them with alternate options and also give them tips on how to manage their expenses and other finances. The classes will be held in each of the police districts in the state.  

Orders have been passed to prepare a list of VRS applicants across all the stations and units. It is learnt that policemen are known to have taken the decision to quit owing to their mental stress/conflicts. The officials concerned were asked to submit a detailed report regarding voluntary retirements within two days.

Till September 1, 2023, 826 cops in the state had applied for voluntary retirement. The list of officers range from CPOs to SIs. Mathrubhumi had reported about the increase in the number of VRS applicants among cops earlier as well. When the news came out, the state government had sought a report on the matter from the police chief.

In the report it was stated that only 148 people were allowed to retire voluntarily from service post 2019. Out of this, three were women. However, officials are alleged of concealing the real data pertaining to VRS. 

Post-September 2023, 50 more people are known to have applied for voluntary retirement. But in the final list submitted to the police chief, names of officials who retracted from their decision to quit upon persuasion and of those whose details were not properly recorded were not included. Hence projecting comparatively lower figures.

Before 2019, the incidents of voluntary retirements were rare in the police service in the state. But by 2023, the number of people who had taken VRS was six times more than what it was in 2019.

Post-2019, the maximum voluntary retirements were recorded at Kozhikode city police district. There were 21 retirements. This was closely followed by Malappuram (16), Idukki (13), Kottayam (12) and Ernakulam City (11). The number of voluntary retirements were relatively lower in police districts including Thrissur city, Thrissur rural, Thiruvananthapuram rural and Pathanamthitta.