
The Maharashtra government has approved Rs 1.27 crore for the Mumbai Police's mounted unit. The funds will cover the purchase of horses, saddlery, veterinary care, and trainer remuneration.

The unit, originally sanctioned in 2019 with 30 horses, has already been allocated 38 police personnel, one sub-inspector, one assistant sub-inspector, and 36 constables. A permanent stable has been built at Marol in Andheri to house the unit.
The finance is a secondary nod: the unit was sanctioned in 2019 and personnel transferred years ago, so the money covers only annual operational costs, not a new scheme. Mounted police in India are rare, only a handful of cities use them, chiefly for crowd control and ceremonial duties at high-footfall events such as festivals or VIP visits. The Marol stable is the key physical asset, the unit becomes ready only after horses are purchased and trained, which typically takes six to nine months. The real test will be whether the unit gets deployed in time for the 2025 monsoon and Ganpati festival season in Mumbai.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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