'It cannot be a status symbol'
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The State government has adopted a new policy to provide PSOs (personal security officers). From now the government will provide security to only those holding constitutional posts.
Making this announcement today, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "PSOs cannot be status symbols. The Cabinet today adopted a new PSO policy. If anyone not holding constitutional posts needs PSOs, the SP can provide it only for ten days and the DGP for 30 days. If the person needs PSOs for more than one month, the matter will come to the state-level committee led by the Chief Minister.
"Around 4,240 police personnel are on security duty of politicians, officers, individuals and others. It amply means that the cumulative strength of four battalions is on security duty. The State government has to cough up around Rs 400 crore for salary and other expenditures of this security personnel. As many as 2,526 personnel are with politicians, 854 with civil officers, 546 with judicial officers, 167 with individuals, 46 with tea garden officials and 52 are with former militant leaders.
"We have decided to cut the number of cars of the Chief Minister's convoy within Guwahati city. The Chief Minister's convoy will have seven cars against the existing 20. It will come into effect within a week. We want to create an atmosphere where we can move without security personnel. It will take two or three years. We are heading in that direction.
"The Tarun Gogoi-led government decided to provide the facilities of official quarters and full security cover to all former chief ministers of the state. We revoked that decision today. Barring Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and Sarbananda Sonowal, no former chief minister, including me, will get that privilege. If any former chief minister has any security threat, the police will decide it."
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