Express News Service
GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma chaired an 18-hour long security meeting where the law and order situation across districts besides various issues relating to policing were discussed.
“First Day of SPs Conference, started at 10.30 am yesterday, has ended just now, at 4 am. This 18 hour-long marathon was intense, with detailed presentations by SPs/Addl SPs,” Sarma tweeted.
He also wrote: “We stand committed to provide a technologically-advanced, citizen-friendly police force to our people.”
Later on Tuesday evening, he told journalists he had wanted to know the status of the cases registered over the past eight months since his government was installed.
He said he and the senior police officials also discussed the problems of the personnel. He said the state government would spend Rs 2,500 crore this year to build housing infrastructure for the cops.
There are 11,000 vacant posts in the police department and he instructed it to set a goal of appointing 16,000 personnel. Sarma said during the conference, he had laid thrust on the optimal use of technology among others. The personnel had a detailed discussion on cyber crime.
On the government’s war against drugs, he instructed the top police officers to take it to a “deciding stage”.
“Organised crime nexus has to be stopped. We also have to protect the national assets,” he said.
Reiterating his statement on “invisible policing”, Sarma said Assam Police are one of the most tech-driven police forces of the country and invisible policing starts with proper technology. He said the state has enough resources for invisible policing.
He also said that the number of personal security officers (PSOs), attached to elected representatives and selected individuals, would be curtailed by 50%. The state has 4,800 PSOs.
“I will cut back my security as well. I had 22 vehicles and I decided that there would be 7-8 vehicles when I am in Guwahati,” Sarma said.
People will get good news when the imposition of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in Assam comes for a review by February-end, he said, indicating the Army personnel have withdrawn from most parts of the state as insurgency has waned.
The CM exuded confidence on the settlement of Assam’s border disputes with Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.
“I am very hopeful about settlement with the two states within this year. However, before reaching any decision, the state government will talk to various organisations and political parties,” he said.
He said the border talks with Mizoram started recently while the dispute with Nagaland was pending in the Supreme Court.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Tuesday attended the conference, held at Duliajan, and interacted with the SPs.
