Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced a major expansion of the state police force, with plans to recruit 15,000 to 20,000 personnel and promote around 5,000 existing police personnel.
Speaking to reporters after a two-day conference of senior police officers on Thursday, Sarma said maintaining law and order would remain a key priority for the government. He directed the police to ensure that the law-and-order situation in Assam was not disturbed under any circumstances.
Sarma also highlighted the improvement in the conviction rate of the Assam Police, which has increased from around 8 per cent in 2020 to 29.30 per cent at present. He attributed the rise partly to the timely submission of charge sheets and said the government was aiming to take the conviction rate further to 35 per cent.
To strengthen the police force, the state government will also form two new battalions. One will focus on disaster management, while the other will cater to security requirements related to Oil India and ONGC.
The government is also working to speed up promotions within the police department, with around 5,000 personnel expected to be promoted, Sarma said.
The chief minister further announced plans to upgrade the Lachit Borphukan Police Academy and grant it national-level status. He said the next conference of police superintendents would be held in Bongaigaon in February, while directions have been issued to implement the decisions taken at the current conference within the next six months.
Sarma also outlined plans to expand police housing in the state. Assam currently has around 90,000 police personnel but only about 10,000 police houses. The government plans to increase the number of police houses to 30,000.
In another major move, the state will constitute an Anti-Narcotics Task Force to intensify the fight against drug trafficking. The process of setting up the task force is expected to be completed within a month.
The government will also seek stricter punishment for drug dealers, including an attempt to increase the punishment to two years. Sarma said authorities would also pursue the seizure of properties linked to drug trafficking. The proposed task force will additionally investigate economic offences.
The chief minister also expressed concern over the relatively low number of medical seats secured by students from Assam. He said he had appealed to national organisations to launch a movement focused on education.
“Our children are getting very few seats in medical colleges. I have told national organisations that now is the time to launch an education movement,” Sarma said.
