Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: Dedicating the newly constructed headquarters of the 5th Commando Battalion at Pabhoi in the Biswanath district to the Assam Police today, Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "Peace now prevails in Assam, but we're not complacent. We're taking every step to strengthen our security apparatus and ensure that peace remains everlasting."
Commando battalions are special law-enforcement units indeed, as both the army and police train commandoes. The Chief Minister said, "Assam's security is paramount, and we're going all guns blazing to ensure that our forces have the best facilities to equip themselves for the job."
Addressing the passing-out parade of 2,551 commandos in 2024, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the Assam Police faced the biggest challenges in the entire nation. Be it communal clashes during the time of partition, an influx that has been going on for seven decades, violence by different insurgent groups or drug trafficking, Assam has always been impacted by these, he said.
According to sources, barring the Paresh Baruah faction of the ULFA, all other insurgent groups in the state have joined the mainstream of society in Assam, and peace has been prevailing in the state for the past few years. However, even now the AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act) is in force in three districts in the state - Tinsukia, Sivasagar and Charaideo.
According to sources, the need for the commando battalions arises in the state to tackle situations that the general police personnel cannot control. The state has five commando battalions so far, and they are capable enough to bring critical situations under control.
"The administration deploys commandoes as and when there are tensions along border areas, and to lessen its dependence on CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces). This is why the state government lays stress on raising commando battalions," a source said.
The 218-bigha headquarters has accommodation facilities for 400 commandos, advanced security with boundary fencing, nine watch towers, underground bunkers with magazine vaults, and training and operational infrastructure like a parade ground, obstacle course, shooting range, kill house or shoot house, and classrooms with computer facilities.
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