Padma Hazarika given cabinet rank ** Internet connectivity to get a boost
HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, June 30: We often put the armed police personnel on a godly pedestal, applauding them for their tireless efforts towards maintaining law and order and the 24×7 access that we have of their services.
However, that also results in us forgetting that they are humans too and have families of their own.
Now, in order to reward the armed police personnel in a more suitable and humane way a decision has been taken by the Assam state government. Now every armed police personnel, from the sub-inspector to the constable, will be granted one month’s mandatory leave every year so that they can pay a visit to their respective homes and spend time with their families.
The decision was taken in a meeting of the state cabinet held under the chairmanship of chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma here on Wednesday.
“Personnel, from the rank of sub-inspector to constable, in all the armed battalions of Assam Police will be given one-month compulsory leave every year for visiting their homes. Those personnel staying with their families in quarters will be given 10 days’ leave every year,” state minister Keshab Mahanta told media persons after the cabinet meeting.
On June 9, addressing an SP conference in Kaziranga, the chief minister had said the armed police personnel will be granted a special leave every year as a part of the process of modernisation of the police.
“One month special leave will be given to the police personnel posted at different battalions to enable them to spend time with their families. A standard operating procedure (SOP) will be created soon to implement this idea,” Sarma had said.
“This decision of a mandatory leave has been granted because there have been many instances of security personnel committing suicides for various reasons including not getting enough leaves to see or give time to their families,” Mahanta said.
Cabinet rank to Padma Hazarika
In another decision, the cabinet has decided to grant the cabinet rank to BJP MLA from Sootea Padma Hazarika for effectively utilising 77,000 bighas of lands in Gorukhuti, Sipajhar for agricultural purposes.
A committee headed by MLA Hazarika has been formed by the government, to carry out the given responsibilities effectively.
Reacting to the decision Padma Hazarika said, “I offer my sincere gratitude to our honourable chief minister. This will definitely encourage me to work with more enthusiasm and dedication.”
Hazarika further added that he will bear all the responsibilities bestowed upon him by the party with utmost sincerity and dedication.
He also said that the state government has already given him the responsibility to initiate agri-farming in 77 thousand bighas of land that was encroached by illegal and doubtful voters in Sipajhar under Darrang district.
IT Dept to bring internet connectivity
With classrooms going digital during the ongoing pandemic, the state cabinet further decided to entrust the state’s information technology department to set up mobile towers in rural or remote areas to provide internet access to school students.
“The cabinet has decided to ease down the process of land requisition and other formalities to set up mobile towers in these areas so that students can access high speed internet to carry on with their studies,” Mahanta said.
The minister added that if no party or telecom company shows interest in setting up mobile towers in some particular area, then the state government would invite them too.
Besides, the cabinet has also entrusted state ministers-Chandra Mohan Patowary, Atul Bora and Ranoj Pegu with the responsibility to ensure implementation of cabinet decisions and inform the cabinet about the implementation status.
The cabinet also decided to increase the commission of fair price shops for transportation of commodities from Rs 100.10 per quintal to Rs 143 per quintal.
A total of 860 cooperative societies in the state will receive a fixed amount of Rs 5 lakh per year for using godowns, transportation of commodities etc.
Transportation contracts for carrying commodities from FCI godown will be given to cooperatives.