SHILLONG, May 11: The Meghalaya Cabinet on Tuesday approved the proposal to restructure the Special Force-10 and the amendment to the Meghalaya Special Force (Amendment) Rules 2016.
Talking to reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui said that the Home (Police) department had come up with the proposal on the need to maximise the use of police force in a productive manner, especially after observing the overall situation in Meghalaya.
Rymbui informed that although the total strength of the SF-10 in Meghalaya should be 1,784, the actual strength of the force is 1,387.
“We want to restructure (the SF-10) in such a way that 905 personnel will remain in SF-10 and the rest will be transferred to different districts or outposts or SDPO, as the case may be. We are planning to place the balance of 482 of the SF-10 in various districts to bring about better policing in different parts of Meghalaya,” the home minister said.
Informing that they will be able to augment availability of personnel in different outposts, police stations or districts, Rymbui said, “It is for this reason the Home (Police) has brought this Cabinet Memo, which was duly approved by the Cabinet. Strengthening police personnel in different districts, police outposts and police stations will help curb the crimes, which are taking place across the state.”
Replying to a query, the home minister said that the SF-10 was constituted to not only maintain the overall law and order in Meghalaya but also deal with militancy and disaster management.
“But we have witnessed that Revenue and Disaster Management department has got its own people to do the job. Also, militancy all over the state has come down. Therefore, it is for these reasons we fell on the need to restructure the SF-10 to be able to tackle other criminal activities,” Rymbui said. Out of 905 existing SF-10 personnel, Rymbui said that 183 will be posted in SF-10 Headquarters, 361 in tactical based in Eastern Range, which will be established in the 1st MLP Battalion at Mawlai Mawiong, and 361 tactical based in 2nd MLP Battalion at Goeragre, West Garo Hills.
Other approvals
The Cabinet has, meanwhile, also approved the amendment to Meghalaya Public Security Agency Rule, 2021.
It has also approved the amendment to the service rules relating to the establishment of Directorate of Dairying Development, which was brought by the Animal and Husbandry department, the home minister informed.
Rymbui added that a minor amendment to the Meghalaya Stamps (payment of duty by means of E-Stamping) Rules, 2020 was also approved by the Cabinet.
