Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said the investigation and law and order departments of the state police will be separated to ensure speedy disposal of over one lakh pending cases. Separate posts will be created for investigating officers, who will not handle the maintenance of law and order so that cases, many of them related to violation of Section 144 CrPC, will be disposed of at the earliest and filing of charge sheets can be expedited in other cases, Sarma, who holds the home portfolio, said during the Question Hour in the assembly. There are 15,310 vacant posts in the police department and “though we are ready to hold the recruitment examinations, it has not been possible due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation”, Sarma said. The process of raising ten commando battalions in the state has started and after the creation of the new battalions, 12,000 more personnel will become a part of the force, the chief minister said. The government has also initiated steps to improve the housing facilities for the police personnel, Sarma said. “The national satisfaction for police housing is 35 to 40 per cent but in Assam, it is very low-about 15 to 16 per cent and we are working on taking this to the national level,” he added. The living condition of CRPF personnel in the state is also “very bad” and steps will be taken to improve it, the chief minister said. “I have asked for a list from the CRPF and will direct the deputy commissioners to take measures to allot land and the CRPF will construct the building,” he said.
Referring to modernisation and the use of latest technologies in the police force, the chief minister said that high-powered drones will be used in the border areas, particularly in the remote forested areas along the inter- state borders. Modern gadgets are also being used to detect the movement of militants, he added. The Cyberdome of the Assam police is engaged in monitoring provocative social media posts and steps are being taken to remove them, he added. All police stations will be provided with a car, computer, and generator and police outposts will be upgraded to police stations gradually, he said. The chief minister assured the House that all genuine demands of their constituencies related to police matters will be forwarded to the Director-General of Police and immediate steps will be taken to resolve them. PTI
