Guwahati: Failure of Assam government to keep it promise of providing a suitable job to the widow of an Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) who was killed by militant in January this year, rocked Assam Assembly on Tuesday.
Faced with severe criticism from MLAs including some ruling party legislators in the floor of the House over the delay in providing a gazetted post to the well-educated widow of the slain ASP , Assam government Tuesday was compelled to assure the House to do everything possible to provide job to the widow as soon as possible.
Gulaz Hussain, APS, was killed by militants belonging to NDFB-S outfit while he was returning after conducting a successful operation against the ultras in remote Sonitpur district on January 28 this year.
He is survived by his young widow and two minor children.
Another police man was killed and four others were injured in the same strike by the ultras Batachipur area near Dhekiajuli town in Sonitpur district.
The state government was prompt in announcing that it would provide a suitable job to the widow o the brave police officer who laid down his live fighting the terror.
Since then the matter remained wrapped in the red tape of the state bureaucracy much to the chagrin of the widow and it has affected the morale of the police force of the state which is fighting a battle with ultras in remote parts of the state risking their life.
Several ruling Congress MLAs on Tuesday drew the attention of the House to the matter and accused a section of the bureaucracy of dilly-dallying with the matter despite the required instruction issued by the Chief Minister to give a gazetted post like Welfare Officer in Assam Police to the widow of the slam APS.
They pointed out that the failure of the government to keep its promise made to the widow of the police officer would not augur well for the ruling party as it has dented its image before the public.
One of the MLAs, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma alleged that a certain IAS officer in the state Home Department had been stonewalling the appointment of the widow on various pretext despite the instruction from the Chief Minister’s Office.
Congress MLA Rajen Borthakur pointed out that the police force was already operating under trying circumstances against the militants in Sonitpur district and if the government showed indifference to provide adequate support to the family of the slain ASP and other such policemen, then the morale of the force would be affected.
He said policemen operating in remote and insurgents infested areas in Assam are hardly provided with adequate facilities like safe barracks, fast vehicles etc. for sustained counter-insurgency operation.
