From Eric Calvin Ranee
No infrastructure, power, potable water or arms training for cops
UMRAN: All is not well with the state of affairs at the Sixth Meghalaya Police Battalion headquarters at Umran in Ri Bhoi where the recruit constables are undergoing basic training amidst lack of basic infrastructures and lecturers.
The Meghalaya Government has set up the headquarters of the 6th MLP Battalion which is also an Indian Reserve Battalion at Umran under Nongpoh PS at an acquired land of around 200 acres where the State Police Academy is being set up at a cost of Rs. 50 crore sanctioned under the 13th Finance Commission.
The Government spent over Rs. 12 crore for acquiring the land and accordingly the headquarter of the 6th MLP Battalion was set up there where a training course is presently underway for recruit male constables while the female recruit constables are undergoing training at 1st MLP Battalion, Mawiong, East Khasi Hills.
According to reliable information, the headquarter of the 6th MLP Battalion is functioning without power supply even after being set up over five months back for reasons best known to the authority concerned. Over a hundred recruit constables are surviving in the training camp without electricity.
Adding to the misery of the recruit constables, there is no supply of potable drinking water in the camp. Sources have revealed that during the past few months several recruit constables have been taken ill dues to consumption of unsafe drinking water.
Interestingly, there is no full-time lecturer in the training camp to impart lessons on basic laws and others to the recruit constables, presently, officers of the Ri Bhoi Police department have to bear the responsibility of imparting lectures to the recruits. After performing their basic law and order duties, these officers seldom have the time and energy to prepare for the lectures, but they have no choice but to obey the orders of their higher ups.
It is a known fact that arms training is of utmost importance during the training course for recruit constables, but according to sources, the authority concerned at the 6th Battalion headquarter are yet to start arms training for due to insufficient supply of 303 rifles.
The recruit constables also have been living in pathetic conditions as they have been surviving for several months now in thatched structures made of bamboo. Even the daily classes are being conducted in the thatched structures. Surprisingly, no one at the headquarters have any answers to the reason behind the delay in construction of the headquarter building.
Though these recruit constables are being trained as unarmed constables, sources pointed out that judging the way their training was going on in the absence of basic facilities, it appears that they were being subjected to guerrilla warfare training.