Staff Reporter
Guwahati: For establishing a District Police Accountability Authority, the Assam Assembly passed a bill titled The Assam Police (Amendment) Bill, 2025, on the third day of its ongoing Winter Session today. The District Police Accountability Authority will now exclude MLAs and MPs, as provided in the provisions of the earlier Act.
During the passing of the bill, Congress members and MLA Akhil Gogoi staged a walkout from the House to protest the exclusion of MPs and MLAs.
The bill was moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary on behalf of the Home Minister. Amidst a short discussion and objections raised by Congress MLAs and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi, the bill was passed in the Assembly.
According to the contents of the Bill, the State Government may establish in each police district, or a group of districts in a police range, a District Police Accountability Authority to inquire into cases of complaints of misconduct and to discharge functions as specified in the Act.
The District Police Accountability Authority shall have one Chairperson and four Members as follows: (a) The Inspector General of Police or Deputy Inspector General of Police of the concerned Police Range shall act as the ex-officio Chairperson of the District Police Accountability Authority. In the case of the Police Commissionerate, the Commissioner of Police shall act as the ex-officio Chairperson of the concerned District Police Accountability Authority.
(b) The Additional District Commissioner (Magistracy) of the concerned district shall be an ex-officio member of the District Police Accountability Authority.
(c) One woman advocate having a minimum of 15 years of working experience to be nominated by the District Commissioner of the district concerned as a Member for a period of not more than 3 years.
(d) One social worker or prominent citizen to be nominated by the Government as a member for a period of not more than 3 years.
(e) The Staff Officer to the Inspector General of Police or Deputy Inspector General of Police of the concerned Police Range shall be the Secretary of the District Police Accountability Authority and shall maintain office records. In the case of the Police Commissionerate, the Assistant Commissioner of Police (HQ) shall be the Secretary of the District Police Accountability Authority concerned and shall maintain office records.
During the discussion on the Bill, the CLP members and Akhil Gogoi stated that, earlier, MLAs and MPs were members of the District Police Accountability Authority, and this practice should be maintained. Congress MLA Zakir Hussain Sikdar said, “Although MLAs and MPs were earlier members of the Authority, not a single meeting was convened. Now, this amendment will exclude MLAs and MPs from the said Authority. This should not be done.”
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