HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, May 15: The Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) on Saturday said the political pressure exerted by the police department will create a negative trend in the state. The government needs to pay special attention to this issue.
In a memorandum to chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, AJP said that the transfer of the superintendent of police has violated the Police Act and it will demoralise the department of police, which will undermine the state’s police system.
“If the police force has to work at any time for fear of being transferred, it will have a negative impact on the services rendered by the police department to the public. It will be more beneficial for the police if they are able to work with dignity and independence according to their rank,” AJP general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan said in a statement here.
“But one of the most important administrative decisions that the government has taken in its first week has been a major reshuffle in the police department,” Bhuyan said.
“The state home department has transferred most of the state’s district superintendents of police with an order passed yesterday. The transfer, we believe, is aimed to put political pressure on the Assam Police administration,” Bhuyan said.
“It is true that recruitment or transfer in the administration or police department is a normal process of the state and is a discretionary matter for the government. But in doing so, the government must abide by the law and the prevailing government regulations,” he said.
“The government needs to be vigilant against any move that is not in the interest to undermine the confidence of the public. However, we have observed with great concern that the reshuffle order issued by the home department violated the law and the prevailing government rules and protocols,” he also said.
“For example, Clause 12 of the Assam Police Act, 2007 clearly states that the term of office of a district superintendent of police should be at least one year. But, it has not been a year in service of several superintendent of police those transferred. The law clearly stipulates that there must be certain reasons for transfer before the end of the year, although the government has directed that the superintendent of police be transferred without any such reason,” he also said.
“Surprisingly there are police officers in the transferred-posted list who have been charge-sheeted by the CID in a case of harassing a woman and another was convicted by court,” he added.
