THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has consented to the police’s proposal to abolish some of the technical posts that have become obsolete over the years and surrender the existing vacancies for the upcoming cyber investigation wing, which is expected to be announced by the end of this month. The police had written to the government seeking the abolishing of posts such as that of tailor, carpenter, lathe worker, painter and blacksmith. It had also conveyed to the government its wish to earmark the existing vacancies of these technical posts exclusively for the cyber investigation wing. The recruitment to the technical posts of tailor, carpenter and lathe worker has been stalled for several years as the department no longer finds them useful in its scheme of things. In 2020, the police had allowed the deputation requests of about 100 civil police officers, allowing them to work as carpenters, cleaners and blacksmiths. This was mostly done to protect the interest of the civil police officers rather than to cater to the departmental needs. According to the police proposal, the cyber wing will have 300 vacancies, which need to be filled by redeployment and drafting to the surrendered posts. The police had wanted the government to allow the surrender of 120 vacant technical posts that could then be transferred to the cyber wing. The rest of the vacancies were to be filled by means of re-arrangement. “We had sought to abolish the technical posts that have no relevance in the modern times. Those posts were created for the needs of the force in the old times. Then we required tailors, blacksmiths and lathe workers. The times have changed and we do not need them. We are outsourcing these works and there is no point in keeping those posts alive,” said a senior police officer. The decision to start an exclusive cyber investigation wing was taken on the basis of a surge in cyber crimes. The government has already appointed IG H Venkatesh to head the cyber operations and the Cyberdome has been brought under the fold of the cyber wing. The department has been actively enhancing its capacity in the cyber front with Cyberdome playing a major role. Cyberdome Kozhikode has been assigned to specifically work on cyber fraud, while Kochi Cyberdome has been working on cryptocurrency. The Thiruvananthapuram wing has been working on cyber security and the dark web.
