Former MP slams Andhra Govt for putting 199 police officers in VR

In a detailed post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Vijayasai Reddy revealed that the “temporary” VR list has been in force since at least 2024 and continues under the present regime. The affected officers include senior ranks

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

Former Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) V Vijay Sai Reddy has strongly criticized the Andhra Pradesh government for placing 199 police officers in “Vacancy Reserve” (VR) — a status that leaves them neither suspended nor punished but effectively sidelined — for nearly two years. Many officers, he alleged, are not even receiving their salaries and allowances, turning an administrative measure into what he described as “psychological torture.” 

In a detailed post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Vijayasai Reddy revealed that the “temporary” VR list has been in force since at least 2024 and continues under the present regime. The affected officers include senior ranks: four Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, four state-cadre Superintendents of Police, one APSP Commandant, 27 Additional Superintendents of Police, 42 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), and 119 Inspectors. 

He pointed out that both major political parties in the state — the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) — have resorted to the same practice during their respective tenures, tagging Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and several media organizations. The VR system, originally meant as a short-term administrative tool to manage excess or disputed cadre strength, has apparently become a de facto punishment for officers caught in political crossfire or departmental disputes. 

Sources familiar with police administration say officers in VR are barred from regular duties, promotions, and sometimes even basic emoluments, severely affecting morale within the force. Vijay Sai Reddy’s post has sparked immediate reactions on social media, with some users questioning the role of courts and others urging the government to deploy the officers in non-sensitive roles pending resolution of their cases.