2 min readPatnaFeb 15, 2026 07:45 AM IST
The Bihar government has cleared the appointment of 17,000 retired paramilitary personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces and ex-Army men in the state police as Special Auxiliary Police (SAP), marking the first time ex-paramilitary personnel will be inducted by the state police.
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The decision was taken to strengthen the force. Earlier, only ex-Army men were contracted in the SAP. At present, there are 1,717 SAP jawans in the state.
Officials said the move was also prompted by the fact that newly recruited constables are still undergoing training and are yet to join active duty.
The Special Auxiliary Police (SAP) was constituted by the Bihar government to better control extremist and violent activities and ensure efficient policing. SAP contracts are extended from time to time.
In a letter to the Principal Accountant General on February 7, Bihar’s Deputy Secretary Manoj Kumar Sinha sought approval for budgetary sanction of additional posts with enhanced honorarium of Rs 40,000 (from Rs 35,000) per month for a junior commissioned officer (JCO) and Rs 30,000 (from Rs 25,000) for an SAP jawan.
The letter said: “Until now, only ex-Army personnel of the Indian Army have been recruited on contract basis as SAP forces. Currently, in addition to ex-Army personnel, retired paramilitary personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) are also approved for contract recruitment.” The state government has estimated an expenditure of Rs 642.09 crore for payment of honorarium at the enhanced rate to the total sanctioned force of 17,000 (150 JCOs, 16,300 SAPs and 550 cooks).
A senior police officer said the state’s current police force was 2.3 lakh for 13 crore population.
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“It is a welcome move to include ex-paramilitary forces in SAP. Though we don’t have Left Wing Extremism any longer, we still need the expertise of SAP to assist us in control of law and order,” he said.
