Adityanath accuses previous govts of 'conspiring' to end key UP police force

Additional Chief Secretary Home Awanish Awasthi told PTI that in 2017 when the BJP government came to power, the police force had only 3 lakh personnel, and 53 companies of the PAC were virtually without any men.Adityanath said that over 1.62 lakh youths have been recruited in the UP Police force and PAC in the past five years.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday accused the previous state governments of trying to play with the security of the state by hatching a conspiracy to end the PAC. Addressing the passing-out parade of the recruits of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), Adityanath without taking any names, said ''as a part of a conspiracy, there were efforts to end 54 companies. Today, when I see the splendid parade of the recruits, I myself am realizing how a big conspiracy was hatched.'' ''A despicable effort was made to stop these talented youths from joining the police force of the state and become a part of it so that they can be prevented from serving the state and the nation,'' Adityanath said. Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi told PTI that in 2017 when the BJP government came to power, the police force had only 3 lakh personnel, and 53 companies of the PAC were virtual without any men.

Adityanath said that over 1.62 lakh youths have been recruited in the UP Police force and PAC in the past five years. He said that the capacity of the centers charged with training these men too has been enhanced, and steps have been taken to modernize the police force. ''We all know that in 2017 after the new government was formed in the state, at that time, posts in large numbers in the police and PAC were lying vacant. In the past five years, over 1.62 lakh police personnel have been recruited, and the training program has been taken forward,'' he said. Adityanath said that his administration has facilitated "infinite possibilities of job creation" in the state, and the "feeling of security" among people is quite clear in his rule.

''Today, the youth of Uttar Pradesh can say with great pride that I am a resident of Uttar Pradesh -- the heartland of India. How Uttar Pradesh has transformed its image through good law and order, it is being praised everywhere,'' he said.

In 1940 during the Second World War, 13 companies of UP Military Police were raised to deal with internal security and increased to 36 companies during the war period. The reorganization took place in September 1947 during which 11 battalions (86 companies) were raised.

In 1948, the UP Military Police and UP State Armed Constabulary were amalgamated into the Provincial Armed Constabulary.

The PAC was created to prevent the frequent deployment of the Army in grave law and order situations that the local police could not handle on their own.

Even though it was meant to serve only in Uttar Pradesh, the PAC has over the period been deployed across the length and breadth of the country.

The PAC was renamed Pradeshik Armed Constabulary in 1956.