'Deadwood' cops to be offered VRS after strict review: Assam DGP

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• May 9, 2023 | Dhupali Das

Assam Police has compiled a list of over 650 personnel who are reported to be habitual drinkers or obese...

Digital Desk: Assam Police has compiled a list of over 650 personnel who are reported to be habitual drinkers or obese, and those found unsuitable for duty would be offered voluntary retirement following a thorough investigation, said Director General of Police GP Singh.

The effort to clear the police force of "deadwood" will be carried out across all organizations and wings, the DGP stated at a press conference.

"We already have a list of about 680 people. To guarantee that no names are added without a logical basis, we have constituted committees in battalions and districts that will be led by a deputy commandant or an additional SP-rank officer," Singh said.

These committees will submit their reports to district superintendents of police (SPs) or battalion commandants, who will subsequently, "after careful review on their part," submit them to the police headquarters, he said.

The list will be reviewed once more by a committee comprised of members from the training and armed police wings, as well as law and order and administration.

Further, Singh stated that the committee will then finalize the list of individuals who will be offered the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS).

The process of compiling the list is being optimized in such a way that "no wrong person" is awarded VRS, therefore finalizing the list of names will take some time.

Those whose names appear on the list but who refuse to take VRS will not be allocated field duty, Singh said.

"We met with other police organisations, and they have been ordered to draw up similar lists," said the top police officer.

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The overall strength of the state police force is about 70,000, the DGP said. 

Moreover, police officers, particularly IPS officers, have been instructed to stay fit in order to set a good example.

The officers have been given three to four months to get in shape so that the "removal of deadwood" from the lower levels does not appear unjustified, he said.

The new recruits will receive training centered around maintaining physical fitness, which is an important area for Assam Police for all grades and personnel, according to the DGP.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently suggested for removing the deadwood from the police force - habitual drinkers, those with extreme obesity, and those facing corruption charges - in order to transform the force into an active and action-oriented one, an official statement said. 

"The government has a provision in place to provide them with VRS. It is an old rule, but we had not previously implemented it. We've started working on it this time," Sarma, who also handles the Home portfolio, said.

Those who will be offered VRS will continue to receive their full salary, and new recruitment will be conducted to fill the vacancies, he said.