BENGAL’S POLICE FORCE SET FOR A MASSIVE EXPANSION AS SUVENDU ADHIKARI HANDS JOB LETTERS TO 11,000 RECRUITS, PROMISES 13,000 MORE POSTS.

October 12, 2026

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday announced a major expansion of the state’s police force, distributing appointment letters to 11,000 police recruits and promising thousands of additional vacancies by December. The recruitment drive, unveiled at a programme at Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata, forms part of the new government’s stated effort to strengthen law enforcement, improve policing standards and establish a transparent system of public-sector recruitment.

Adhikari announced that 4,000 personnel would be recruited into Kolkata Police by December, while the West Bengal Police Recruitment Board would issue a notification in November for 9,000 additional posts in the state police. He also announced plans to recruit 650 police clerks through the Public Service Commission and confirmed that 300 sub-inspectors had been selected for Kolkata Police.

The chief minister further stated that a fresh recruitment drive for the state police would begin in January, signalling that the government intended to make appointments a recurring process rather than an occasional exercise. He expressed confidence that West Bengal would surpass Uttar Pradesh in the number of police personnel within two years.

Addressing the recruits and job aspirants, Adhikari attributed the new appointments to the change of government in Bengal. He alleged that the previous Trinamool Congress administration had stalled recruitment because of disputes surrounding Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservations.

“I do not want applause, nor do I want credit. I only want to say that this recruitment would not have happened if the government had not changed,” Adhikari said, arguing that the previous administration had allowed recruitment to remain suspended while the dispute continued.

He said a confrontation between the government and the judiciary had delayed the appointment process, adding that his administration had convened a session of the state Assembly to address the OBC-related deadlock. He also referred to the previous government’s case in the Supreme Court challenging a Calcutta High Court division bench ruling, claiming that his administration had resolved the legal obstacles holding up recruitment.

The chief minister assured candidates that future appointments would follow established rules and be conducted transparently. He promised that there would be no irregularities in oral examinations or physical tests and urged aspirants to trust the recruitment system.

Adhikari also discussed the role of civic volunteers in policing, criticising the previous administration for relying on them to perform duties that he believes require properly trained police personnel. However, he clarified that his government was not opposed to civic volunteers and said their monthly remuneration had been increased by ₹2,000 before Durga Puja.

He stressed that police work required disciplined personnel with appropriate training and argued that merit must remain the sole criterion for government recruitment. According to the chief minister, future hiring would take place every year under established procedures, with the objective of strengthening professional standards and reducing dependence on personnel who had not undergone the necessary recruitment examinations.

Beyond policing, Adhikari addressed the long-running issue of dearness allowance (DA) for state government employees. He said the government had announced a 20 per cent increase and was working to narrow the gap between the allowance paid by the state and that paid by the Centre.

The chief minister explained that the earlier 18 per cent rate and the latest 20 per cent increase would together bring the DA rate for state employees to 38 per cent. He promised that the October salary advance and the revised DA would be credited to employees’ bank accounts by October 15, ahead of the beginning of Durga Puja rituals.

Adhikari also announced an increase in the ration allowance for police personnel from ₹1,500 to ₹2,000 and promised a further enhancement in the next state budget. The measures were presented as part of the government’s broader effort to improve the financial support and working conditions of police personnel.

The recruitment announcements come as the administration seeks to expand police strength while improving emergency response capabilities and the functioning of police stations. The government’s challenge will be to translate the announced vacancies into completed recruitment processes, adequately trained personnel and measurable improvements in law enforcement.

With 11,000 appointment letters distributed and a further 13,000 posts promised by December, Adhikari has placed police recruitment at the centre of his administration’s early governance agenda. The outcome will depend on the timely completion of selection procedures, the filling of sanctioned vacancies and the establishment of a consistent, merit-based recruitment system across West Bengal.