Assam Police Security Cover Becomes A Status Symbol

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Assam Police is in a terrible mess in giving and stripping security cover of particular categories to and from a whole lot of people – right from businessmen and journalists to ministers. The root cause of the problem lies in the fact that many such people need security cover more as a ‘status symbol’ than for ‘threat perception’.

The problem of providing various categories of security to VIPs and others in the State continues to deal a blow to the State police forces that faces dearth of manpower in almost every police station.

Various categories of security are given to or withdrawn from VIPs and others after district-level review meetings headed by the respective superintendents of police (SPs). The SPs can gauge well the threat perception on an applicant seeking security cover. However, as and when they withdraw or reduce the security cover of a person who doesn’t have any threat on him/her, the person moves the higher-ups up to the Chief Minister and gets it restored. In a recent review meeting on security cover, an SP felt embarrassed after a politician getting his earlier security cover restored by moving higher-ups. According to the SP, the law-maker did not face any security threat.

The situation is very complicated. Even some of former IAS/IPS officers retiring some ten years back and without any security threat on them have been given security personnel, apart from PSOs. The case is no different with politicians. According to rules, ministers and MLAs have to be given security cover. An SP said: “However, a number of former MLAs and political leaders, who, according to the SPs of their respective jurisdictions have no security threat, don’t accept withdrawal or reduction of their security cover. When their security is withdrawn or reduced, they know how to get it restored. And in the event of anything happening to them after the withdrawal of security, we’ll be at the receiving end.”

Of course, a section of businessmen bears the cost for getting security cover from the Assam police.

It’s high time the system of providing security cover to VIPs was overhauled, and the move should come from the government, and not from the SPs.

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