Police act against criminals, not against specific community: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

'After two years, FCI will not be in the paddy procurement scene in Assam. State Government will procure and distribute paddy, and FCI will only fill the gap (shortfall)'

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed the State Assembly of a 30 per cent fall in the crime rate in the state in January and February 2022 against the corresponding period in 2021.

During the discussion on the Governor's address to the Assembly, the Chief Minister said, "The fall in crime rate proves that the police action against criminals has worked. A section of legislators and a few others try to show that the police act tough against Muslim criminals only. That is not true. The question of religion does not arise. Police act against Hindus, tribal people and Muslims for involvement in crimes.

"The police don't act against any specific community. If police shoot at a drug peddler belonging to the minority community and say that they fired when the peddler tried to escape, we need to trust the police. The police should also act within the perimeter of the law.

"A firing incident took place in Nagaon recently. The government came to know from public reactions that the personnel involved in the firing were not right. We took instant action against the police in that case.

"As many as 4,274 PSOs (personal security officers) were engaged for the security of various individuals in the state. The Government has withdrawn 732 of the PSOs, mostly from BJP leaders. Not a single individual has moved the Gauhati High Court against the withdrawal of PSOs so far. It is tantamount to the fact that they have faith in the government."

On paddy procurement, the Chief Minister said, "After two years, FCI (Food Corporation of India) will not be in the paddy procurement scene in Assam. State Government will procure and distribute paddy, and FCI will only fill the gap (shortfall). In the past few years, FCI showed to have procured 2-3 lakh MT of paddy from Assam farmers. The fact, however, was that FCI procured the rice that came to Assam from the Centre under various central schemes. And FCI showed that rice as procured from Assam farmers, only in papers. FCI procured only a meagre quantity of paddy from the state farmers on the ground. The FCI chairman informed me that an internal inquiry is going on about the corporation's shady paddy procurement from Assam.

"FCI is now procuring paddy from Assam farmers directly at an MSP (minimum support price) of Rs 1960 per quintal. It is the first of its kind in the state after 75 years of independence. I have told FCI to procure if the farmers of the state are ready to sell ten lakh MT of paddy."

On water supply schemes, he said, "Ten thousand water supply schemes will come in the state. The MLAs will have to inform the government about any fall in construction quality."

The Chief Minister said that for the first time APDCL made a profit of Rs 282 crore. "However, APDCL still carries over a previous loss of Rs 1,700-crore. The Union Power Minister wrote a letter asking all chief ministers to follow the example of Assam in power revenue collection," he said.

On the promised one lakh government job to the unemployed in the state, he said, "We will employ one lakh youths. Third grade and fourth-grade recruitment commissions will publish advertisements by March 25 opening the door for the appointment of 35,000-40,000 unemployed. Conducting this examination will be a big exercise. It may take time.

"From May 10-June 10, the State government will distribute appointment letters for various posts."

The Chief Minister appealed to the Opposition MLAs to work together with the government for development.

The thrust of the government is on digital governance to let the public get service from home, he added.

He further said that the government would consider the valuable suggestions from the opposition MLAs on the Governor's address.

He declared that the State government would have a separate land policy for the tribal people.

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