Assam director-general of police Jayanta Narayan Choudhury here on Thursday said that maintaining law and order in Assam should be treated as a national problem because it facilitates connectivity to all the seven Northeastern states.
Pointing out that state police force was extensively engaged in fighting militancy for past two decades, Mr Choudhury told this newspaper that maintaining law and order and civil policing was one of the most important tasks of the state police but was overlooked with focus on militancy.
Disclosing that in past two decades of militancy, the state police has also been burdened with over 60,000 cases piled up at various police stations, Mr Choudhury said, “We have now authorised even assistant sub-inspector level officers to investigate the cases for expeditious disposal of pending cases.”
With most of the insurgent groups engaged in peace-talks now, Mr Choudhury said that biggest challenge before them is of civil policing. “We have submitted a proposal to the home ministry asking for expansion of civil police network in the state.” He said that Assam CM Tarun Gogoi has written letter to the PM seeking central assistance.
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Sharad joins Opp. attacks on Bansal
Age Correspondent
New Delhi, May 9
After breaking ranks with the BJP in supporting beleaguered Union minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav on Thursday joined the Opposition chorus to seek the resignation of the railways minister. The JD(U) chief also hit out at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for shielding Union law minister Ashwani Kumar.
While Mr Yadav explained out his earlier defence of Mr Bansal for lack of details on the cash for promotion scandal, the Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had strongly come out against the railways minister.
Mr Kumar had termed Mr Yadav’s defence of the railways minister as “personal opinion”.
The JD (U) chief had last week reasoned that the minister could not be held accountable for the deeds of his nephew.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Mr Yadav had said: “My earlier remark on Mr Bansal was based on the information available with me at that time and because of what I have known about him so far. But now the kind of reports, which are coming, about his relatives being arrested, I wonder why should he allow his further condemnation. He should quit.”