GUWAHATI, March 26 � The State has witnessed a rising trend of different crimes with figures of 17,157 (2006) 17,916 (2007), 19,917 (2008), 19,860 (2009), 21,328 (2010), and 22,000 (2011), in the last six years.
Moving the cut motion on the demand for grant of for modernization of police force in the Assembly today, Ranjit Das (BJP) today referred to these statistics and said that Assam Police had cut a sorry figure when it came to checking growing criminal activities. This, he said, was largely due to the inefficiency of the police force which called for a thorough revamp of the police administration.
Citing the example of Guwahati, Das said that as many as 22 officers were lying idle with no work in the Police Reserve whereas many posts were lying vacant at different police stations. �Many police stations in the State are having the same officials, constables and havildars for seven-eight years. The weak role of the police administration has emboldened the criminals to be more daring in their nefarious activities,� he said.
Das said that various acts of omission and commission on the part of the police were lowering its image and dignity before the public. �Police has failed to charge-sheet thousands of accused, while there have been instances of not registering any case even after drunken elements indulged in vandalism and manhandling of police personnel inside police stations,� he said.
As suggestive measures, Das said that regular transfer of all police officers and personnel every two years was essential for enhancing the force�s efficiency. He also said that there should be recruitment from retired Army and BSF persons (belonging to Assam) in 60 per cent of the vacant posts in the Police Department, and that the proper police-population ratio should be maintained in every district.
Abdur Rahim Khan (AIUDF) alleged that a section of police officials and personnel had a permanent nexus with criminals and this was severely hampering the efficiency of the forces.
Citing an example, Khan said that that a racket in illegal trade of liquor in Barpeta was thriving with active patronage of the police.
Khan also called for reviving the village defence party (VDP) and to place more police personnel in the border areas.
Padma Hazarika (AGP) laid stress on proper training of the police officers and personnel. If required, faculty members should be brought in from outside the State to the State�s Police Training Centre, he said.
The possibility of engaging the surplus people of the Assam Police Radio Organisation in an IT network for making the police force more efficient should also be examined, he said.
He also called for an end to the alleged political interventions in the functioning of the department and to allow some time to the police officers and personnel for their family life.
Bismita Gogoi, Jayanta Malla Bujarbarua, Kamalakshya De Purakayastha, Anjan Dutta, Debabrata Saikia and Rupjyoti Kurmi (all from Cong), Majendra Narzary (BPF), Sherman Ali Ahmed (AIUDF) and Bhupen Roy (AGP) also took part in the debate.
