City police stations stuck in a time warp!

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Feb 19: Two years have already elapsed after the elevation of Guwahati City Police as Guwahati Police Commissiorte. The police stations under the new police setup in the city, however, are still stuck in a time warp! Their plight is beyond measure.

The Guwahati Police Commissionerate has as many as 19 police stations, and six of them have no buildings of their own. The six police stations that are not located in own buildings are Dispur, Geetagar, Satgaon, Fatasil Ambari, Hatigaon and Bhangagarh. Barracks of most of the police stations in the city are not fit for human habitation. The condition of sanitary facilities, facilities for potable water etc., are beyond measure. Most of the police stations in the city are inundated after a smart shower for half an hour. Those involved in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan will feel that the drive being carried out by them has failed to benefit the men in khaki. The compounds and surroundings of police stations in the city are full of filths.

Of late, according to a top police source, a plan is being taken to upgrade Jalukbari police outpost, Geetagar police station and Hatigaon Police Station in the city. While a building has already been allotted for Hatigaon Police Station, the proposal of upgrading Geetagar police station has been sanctioned.  

On the other hand, under Project Moitri new buildings will be given to Jalukbari police station located at Maligaon, Panbazar police station, and Bashistha police station.

Meanwhile, the condition of the Geetagar police station is the worst. In the me of upgrading the police station, rooms are seen to be erected with bamboo works on a slab the condition of which is pathetic. The slab is fraught with the risk of collapsing any time. When viewed from that point of view, the police personnel who are supposed to use the rooms will have to risk their life and limb.      

Police modernization continues to remain a slogan in Assam. Will there be any modernization of the State police force at all, in essence?