CM Himanta directs Home Department to streamline PSOs of Police Officers

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has directed the Home Department to streamline the deployment of PSOs (personal security officials) and house guards attached to senior police officers.

This direction came close on the heels of the department streamlining the PSO deployment of ministers, MLAs, political leaders, businessmen and others.

The Chief Minister directed the Home Department to make sure that battalion commandants and superintendents of police do not deploy any PSO/house guard to any senior police officer without approval from the competent authority. He said, "It has come to my notice that various police officers of different ranks have suo motto taken PSOs, house guards and static guards."

The Chief Minister asked the DGP to issue instructions at all levels for needful compliance and ensure a monitoring mechanism regarding the deployment of PSOs, house guards and others.

The directive further said, "All battalion commandants and SPs have to give an undertaking not to attach any battalion personnel with an officer without permission from the authority. They will also not attach any battalion personnel with any officer for PSO/house guard, static duty or other household duties."

The Chief Minister said, "We have withdrawn 700 PSOs from ministers, MLAs, political leaders and others. We have specified the number of PSOs for ministers, MLAs and others. It will lead to the withdrawal of 700 other PSOs. We will withdraw around 600 other PSOs from various individuals. We will withdraw around 2,000 PSOs in all. It is equal to the strength of two battalions.

"If we get any proof of police officers engaging their PSOs/house guards in their household works, we will deduct the salaries of the PSOs concerned from the salaries of the police officers concerned."

Police officers availing services of PSOs/house guards more than the permitted number is a common practice in the state. A section of police officers also uses PSOs/house guards for their household works like marketing, escorting children to schools etc. This practice goes on with an understanding between a section of SPs and battalion commandants. There are examples of a section of seniors police officers from outside Assam engaging house guards and static guards for household work in their home states.

According to DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, getting instruction from the Chief Minister in this way is politically a big thing. "We implemented it as part of the Assam Police reforms," he said.

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