Guwahati | The Assam government plans to recruit between 15,000 and 20,000 additional police personnel over the next five years as part of its larger target of providing government jobs to two lakh youths, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday.

Addressing the passing-out parade at the Lachit Borphukan Police Academy (LBPA) in Dergaon, Sarma said the proposed recruitment would help the state move towards a “zero-vacancy” Assam Police.

“Under the Assam government’s decision to ensure fresh recruitment of two lakh youths within the next five years, I am sure that we will be able to recruit 15,000 to 20,000 more police personnel within the earmarked timeline,” he said.

Sarma said around 21,000 police officers and constables had been recruited over the past five years through what he described as a fair and merit-based process. The recruitment, he said, had helped transform the Assam Police into a “youth-led force”.

“We are moving ahead to turn Assam Police into a zero-vacancy force, leaving no posts vacant for recruitment,” the Chief Minister said.

Crime rate, drug crackdown highlighted

Highlighting the government’s law-and-order record, Sarma claimed that Assam’s crime rate had declined from 379 cases per lakh population in 2021 to 116 per lakh in July 2024.

He said the number of registered cases had fallen from 1,33,239 to around 25,000, while the charge-sheet rate had increased to 86.85 per cent and the conviction rate had reached nearly 30 per cent.

On the state’s anti-drug campaign, Sarma said police had seized narcotics worth Rs 3,254 crore and arrested 26,537 people during the past five years. The conviction rate in drug-related cases, he said, stood at 57 per cent.

The Chief Minister said Assam’s location and its international borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar meant the state would continue to face security challenges. He called for “zero tolerance” towards crimes against women and directed the police to intensify action against child marriage and polygamy.

Sarma also asked the force to step up anti-drug operations in Barak Valley and the districts of Golaghat, Sivasagar, Tinsukia and Dibrugarh.

403 personnel complete training

The passing-out parade marked the completion of training for 403 police personnel.

Among them were 32 Deputy Superintendents of Police, who underwent 52 weeks of foundational training. Their programme included a two-week orientation at LBPA and two months of training at the North Eastern Police Academy in Meghalaya.

The trainees were trained in laws including the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, POCSO Act, Arms Act and NDPS Act. Their curriculum also covered cybercrime, forensic science and child safety.They underwent practical training in arms handling and safety, horse riding, swimming, IED management and crowd control.

Sarma asked the Director General of Police to further raise training standards at LBPA, saying the academy should provide training comparable to that of the Indian Armed Forces and the Agniveer programme, apart from specialised commando training.

Two-day SSP conference

The Chief Minister will remain in Dergaon for a two-day conference of senior superintendents of police (SSPs) on Wednesday and Thursday. Sarma said it would be the first such conference since the present government came to power.

“On Wednesday and Thursday, an SSP conference will be held. Over the two days, I will hold discussions with them on law and order, fresh recruitments, drugs, crimes against women, crimes against children and other issues,” he said.