Assam cabinet decides to set up police commission

Guwahati: The Assam Cabinet on Wednesday decided to constitute a Police Commission to recommend measures for improvement in policing system, their activities and deployment in the state.

The Council of Ministers presided over by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma decided that the commission will be jointly headed by retired IAS Officer Himangshu Sekhar Das and former Director General of Police P V Sumant for three months and both will get the status of chief secretary.

As a part of the state government’s earlier decision to appoint one lakh youths in government jobs, the cabinet also assented to start the process to fill up 15,000 vacant posts in Assam Police from September 1 this year, government spokesperson and water resources minister Pijush Hazarika said while briefing the media after the meeting.

The meeting also resolved to create five new battalions of Assam Police and 6270 youths will be appointed to these battalions, he said.

The cabinet took a decision to attach the printing and dtationery department with information and public relations department. Henceforth, the department will be known as information, public relations, printing and stationery.

It also consented to attach public enterprise department with industries and commerce department.

The cabinet also okayed proposal to attach the passport department with home.

It was also decided at the meeting to enhance the monthly amount of sports pension from the existing Rs. 8000 to Rs. 10,000.

It was also decided to provide Sports Pension to the medal winners of Commonwealth and National Games, Hazarika said.

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The cabinet approved that medal winners of Olympic, Commonwealth and Asian Games will get Class I Government Jobs, whereas medal winners of recognised world championship will get Class II government jobs and medal winners of National Games will get Class III government jobs.

The Council of Ministers also decided to appoint Dr P L N Raju, who retired as the Director of North East Space Application Centre recently, as the Special Secretary cum Director of Regional Space Application Centre.

Hazarika said that it was also determined at the meeting to waive off land premium for Sankardev Nethralaya.

The newly constituted Autonomous Council’s Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Chief Executive Members will be entitled to the same salary that functionaries of the existing Autonomous Councils are receiving, Hazarika added.