STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The overall strength of the Fire & Emergency Services (F&ES) in the State has got a boost with the move to set up 20 new F&ES stations two battalions of SDRF (State Response Disaster Response Force).
Talking to The Sentinel, a high-level official of the F&ES Directorate said on Wednesday, "The government has sanctioned 20 of our proposals in two phases. With this development, the Directorate will be having 144 total fire stations across the State. There were 124 such F&ES stations. The Directorate had forwarded such proposals for 42 new stations."
"The process is underway. Tendering process is over, and the construction of the buildings of the Directorate is also on. The target is to complete all the process within this fiscal. (2021-2022)," added the official.
The new 20 F&ES stations are coming up at Ambagan, Salbari, Tamulpur, Jalah, Gogamukh, Bamungaon, South Salmara, Fakiraganj, Mahur, Lala, Borkhula, Mandia, Narayanpur, Baithalangso, Goroimari, Digboi, Lakhimpur, Barbhag, Baghmara Bazar, and Simaluguri.
The two proposed SDRF battalions will be set up at Abhayapuri and Dergaon. With this, the total SDRF battalions under the Directorate will be five. As of now, the SDRF battalions of the Directorate are in Cachar, Lakhimpur, and North Guwahati.
Altogether 880 personnel will be recruited for various posts in the two new SDRF battalions and 20 new fire stations. The recruitment process will be carried out by the APRB (Assam Police Recruitment Board).
Meanwhile, sources informed that of the presently functional 124 F&ES stations, a total of 56 fire stations are operating form rental/rent-free accommodations. It has been also learnt that the Fire Services personnel posted in such locations are facing various technical issues, with the primary ones being the lack of parking space for the fire-dousing vehicles as well as for its equipments.
The Directorate has already moved the State government for allotment of three bighas of land for setting such complexes of the F&ES in 21 locations. These are at Barpeta Road, Bahari Bazar, Sootea, Rangirkhari, Sonai, Udarbond, Lakhipur (Cachar), Dhalai, Tingkhong, Bokajan, Chandrapur, North Guwahati, Kamalpur, Suwalkuchi, Chaygaon, Mirza, Haji, Bhuragaon, Mairabari, and Tangla.
Mentionably, the Directorate was known as the 'State Fire Service Organisation' till 2013.
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