GUWAHATI, Dec 23 : Though the Assam Government has taken a decision to increase the strength of the police force and to raise new battalions to deal with the situation, it will take some time before the new recruits can be inducted into the force as the training process is a lengthy one.
Official sources told The Assam Tribune that the Government has already notified creation of a Special Task Force (STF) headed by an Inspector General of Police for launching operations against militants, but it will take some time before the force becomes fully operational. The STF will have 132 personnel and the newly raised 23rd India Reserve Battalion will provide the striking arm of the STF. The personnel of the 23rd IR Battalion will have commando training.
But it will take at least one year for the STF to become fully operational as only the recruitment process of the 23rd IR Battalion has been completed and the training will start only in the first part of next year. Sources said that the initial commando training will be for a period of one year, which will be followed by advanced training for a period of three months. Afterwards, the recruits may be sent outside for further training. Thus, the training process of the new recruits of the 23rd IR Battalion will take more than a year and only afterwards, the STF will be fully operational to launch operations against militants.
Sources said that vacant posts in the Police Department is another major concern. The sanctioned strength of the police department is around 64,000 personnel right from the head of the force to constables and though the Government has recently started a drive to fill up the vacant posts, it will take some time to fill up the vacancies. Sources said that the training facilities are not adequate to recruit huge number of constables at one go. At present, the State Police Force has four training institutes—Police Training College, Recruitment Training School, Armed Police Training Centre and Battalion Training Centre and the facilities available are not adequate to train up huge number of new recruits if the Government decides to fill up the vacancies at one go.
Sources pointed out that even after appointments, the new recruits would have to go through the training process before they are inducted into the service. The duration of training for the direct recruits of DSPs and Inspectors is 52 weeks and it is 44 weeks for constables.
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