Guwahati | Assam will raise two new specialised police battalions – one for disaster response and another for the security of oil and gas installations – as part of a broader plan to strengthen the state’s policing and security infrastructure, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday.

The announcement came after a two-day conference of senior police officers in Dergaon, where measures to improve law and order, investigation, disaster response and the fight against organised crime were discussed.

Addressing the media after the conference, Sarma said the government had decided to establish a new State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) battalion and a dedicated battalion to protect installations of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Oil India Limited (OIL).

“To strengthen Assam Police, we have decided to establish a new SDRF battalion and another battalion for the security of ONGC and OIL,” the Chief Minister said. The government also decided to step up its campaign against drug trafficking, with particular emphasis on identifying major traffickers, disrupting their financial networks and seizing assets linked to the illegal trade.

Sarma said Assam would improve coordination with neighbouring Manipur, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh to tackle drug trafficking routes and would examine measures such as preventive detention against major traffickers. He also announced that an Anti-Narcotics Task Force would be constituted within a month.

“The Centre has asked us to constitute one,” Sarma said, adding that the proposed unit would focus on property attachment, stronger forensic investigation, disruption of traffickers’ financial networks and preventing procedural lapses that could benefit accused persons.

The government will also examine the functioning of drug rehabilitation centres following reports that narcotics were allegedly available at some such facilities, the Chief Minister said.

Focus on conviction rate

Improving the conviction rate was another key focus of the police conference. Sarma said the government wanted to raise Assam’s conviction rate from the current 29.30 per cent to 35 per cent by improving the quality of investigation and addressing procedural shortcomings.

“The conviction rate in Assam stood at around 7 per cent in 2020. We want to better that and bring the number to 35 per cent,” he said. Senior police officers at the conference also discussed measures to strengthen investigations and improve the overall functioning of the force.

15,000-20,000 more personnel planned

The government is also planning a major expansion of the Assam Police workforce. Sarma said around 5,000 personnel had been recruited over the past five years, while the government plans to recruit another 15,000 to 20,000 personnel over the next five years.

“We are trying to clear the bottlenecks for this,” he said.

Police infrastructure and personnel welfare were also discussed at the conference. The government plans to upgrade the Lachit Borphukan Police Academy in Dergaon into a national-level institution. The proposed improvements include upgrading its shooting range, horse-riding and sports facilities, as well as expanding accommodation for staff.

Sarma also highlighted the shortage of residential facilities for police personnel. The Assam Police has around 90,000 personnel but currently has housing capacity for only about 10,000, he said. The government wants to increase the number of available residential units to around 30,000.

The Dergaon meeting was the first conference of senior police officers under the new government, according to Sarma. He said the decisions taken during the two-day conference would be implemented over the next six months. The next conference is proposed to be held in Bongaigaon in February next year, when progress on the measures will be reviewed.