Operation to continue: DGP

GUWAHATI, April 30: Soon after taking charge as the DGP, IPS officer Kuladhar Saikia has said that operations against militants will continue, if need be, vigorously despite the fall in insurgent activities in the State. 

The IPS officer took charge as the DGP at Assam Police Headquarters here on Monday.  Addressing the media, Saikia said: “My around two-year stint as Special DGP (law and order) is an asset. That experience is going to me a lot in tackling insurgency in the State.”

On Assam youths joining militant groups elsewhere in the country, Saikia said: “After the incident of a youth from Jamunamukh in Nagaon district claiming in social media to have joined a militant group in Jammu & Kashmir, we’ve asked all superintendents of police to collect data of all youths of the State working outside from the gaoburhas of their respective areas. We need to keep track on such youths – their changing whereabouts, what they are doing, if they keep in changing their locations and if they keep in touch with the family members, if not, since when  etc. Efforts are on to ‘de-radicalize them’. The SPs keep us feeding with reports on them when the need arises.”

Saikia is worried over the rising crimes against women in the State. “I’m going to lay more stress on this area so as to stop the trend. We need to increase charge-sheet and conviction rates in cases relating to such crimes,” he said, and added that such crimes, in most of the cases, take place among people known to each other. “We need to boost gender sensitization among people,” he said.

The new DGP has of assured the media of taking some tangible measures to tackle human trafficking, including trafficking of women and children. “The nature of crimes, especially crimes related to property, has changed nowadays. The need of the hour is a research wing. I’ll try my best to make such a wing a reality in the State,” he said, and added: “We also need to see if anything new can be added to the existing police training curricula in the State.”

Spelling on rising road accidents and deaths of youths in the State, Saikia said: “We need to pinpoint the reasons behind such accidents – if they’re because of poor visibility on roads, glitches in transportation, road condition etc. I’m going to take an initiative in this regard to make top officials to get into a huddle.”

On drug menace, the AGP said: “Since it is a social malaise, we need to seek the solution in society. Social awareness on ill effects of drugs can lead us to the right direction.”

On missing PCG member Rebati Phukan and the possibility to his departure for Bangkok, Saikia said: “There’s no such information. His missing is being investigated.”

On Project Prahari, which he was associated with combating witch-hunting in the State, the DGP said: “The project is being run in around 100 villages. This is a good sign that some NGOs have engaged in fighting witch-hunting in the State.”    

On police-public relations, Saikia said that the gap is being narrowed down. “It has to be bridged,” he said.

On schemes of the department, Saikai said that besides carrying forward the schemes taken up by his predecessors he is sure to add some new schemes in the list. He thanked the Chief Minister for entrusting him the responsibility as the DGP of the State.

Meanwhile, outgoing DGP Mukesh Sahay said: “My sweetest moment in my 34-year police service, including over two years as the DGP, is bringing down insurgency in the State. I’m elated for the State holding important events like Assam Assembly election, South Asian Games, NRC update, Advantage Assam, etc., during my tenure as the DGP.”

A large number of top-level police officials took part in the farewell parade given to Sahay at 4th APBn at Kahilipara. At the police headquarters also, he was given a send-off by top police officials.