Assam Assembly witnesses critical discussion on police shortcomings

GUWAHATI, Oct 4: The Assam Police was in a spot when AIUDF MLA Mamun Imdadul Haq Choudhary on Thursday demanded Dispur to maintain a strict vigil on a section of junior police officials who allegedly amassed massive property and wealth.

Raising the demand while participating in a discussion on granting supplementary demand for Home department during the ongoing autumn session of the Assam Assembly on Thursday, Choudhary said the government must look into the issue seriously since it is spending a huge amount of tax payers’ money to pay salaries to police officials. He alleged that corruption and cops are two sides of the same coin for a section of police officials.

“There is no problem in paying good salaries to police. But it will be a huge wastage of tax payers’ money unless the cops do not improve their efficiency in work and serve the public in a better way. While the police must remain accountable to the society at any time, it is a matter of serious concern that behavior of a section of cops towards public is highly deplorable,” Choudhary said.

According to the AIUDF MLA the crime graph in the State is remaining more or less the same and 84,000 cases of different types of crime has been so far registered in the current year. He alleged that the “secret money” that the police uses for the purpose of strengthening its intelligence network to check crime is being wasted.

Chaudhary who is also a lawyer accused a section of police officials of using unemployed youths on contract to write case diaries. Such kind of writing of case diaries is responsible for the police’s failure to establish or prove many crimes and criminals in the court, he said. Choudhary also demanded that the Assam Police must be bifurcated from Home department and made an independent department.

BLP MLA Padma Hazarika, however, differed with Chaudhary and said such criticism might demoralize the police force. He said the nexus between police-militants is almost non-existent in the State.

Responding to the discussion Parliamentary Affair Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary asserted on the floor of Assembly that efficiency of Assam Police is fast improving. He said the police-public relationship is on positive track.

Patowary said the government has taken up various projects to improve infrastructure and facilities to improve functioning of the force.