No Assam Police officer to be permitted to use any battalion personnel as domestic help

Guwahati (Assam) [India], April 7 (ANI): Assam Government on Thursday announced that no state police officer will be allowed to use any battalion personnel as domestic help.
The state government said that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has directed a written undertaking from battalion COs and all SPs and the cost of use of any domestic help will have to be borne through personal expense.
"No Assam Police officer will be allowed to use any battalion personnel as domestic help. CM directs written undertaking from battalion COs and all SPs. Any use of domestic will have to be borne through personal costs," the Assam Government said in a statement.
Sarma has issued a strict directive to the state police battalion Commandants and Superintendents of Police (SPs) to submit reports on allegations that various police officers of different ranks have sue motto taken Personal Security Officers (PSOs), house guards, static guards, etc. without the approval of the competent authority.

"There are many allegations that some officers employ battalion personnel for personal, household works at their homes. I have asked the Commandants of battalions and SPs to submit a certificate within 10 days if there are such battalion personnel. If true, then the officer will have to pay their salary, the government will not pay. This time, we want to abolish this," Sarma told media persons in Guwahati on Thursday.

The Assam Chief Minister further said, "There are 4000 PSOs in Assam and we have reduced 700 PSOs. Now an order has come out that, how many PSOs will there for Ministers, MLAs, leader of opposition and under this formula 700 more PSOs will be reduced."

"We will withdraw 600 more PSOs and with this two battalions will be freed," he added.

Earlier, the Assam cabinet had adopted a new policy to provide PSOs only based on core security review and constitutional post. (ANI)