GUWAHATI: The Assam Government has apparently given up on the arrival of Punjab Police commandos. Who are to be deployed for counter-insurgency Operations in the State.
Official sources said the commandos were expected here in April but due to Vaisakhi festival Air arrival was put off to May but once again the Punjab Government postponed their arrival on the pretext of by-elections in northern India.
Reportedly Punjab DGP K.P.S. Gill an IPS officer of the Assam Meghalaya cadre who was later transplanted in Punjab had promised to send two battalions of police commandos to Assam to operate against the extremists.
The understanding reponedly transpired when the Punjab Police chief met his old acquaintance Hiteswar Saikia Chief Ministers* meet convened by the Home Ministry in New Delhi in the beginning of this year
Following Gills assurances the Assam Government approached the Punjab Government and the modalities of the arrangement were worked out official sources said Fifty DSP rank of fivers of Assam Police recently returned from Punjab after giving a crash course to commandos under the mutually Agreed program the source said
We are still expecting the commandos but frankly we are not sure any more about their arrival said an officer showing signs of disenchantment.
The report of the imminent deployment of the extremely well equipped Punjab commands to quote former Assam Police DGP S.V. Subramanian had set off a political controversy here as quite a few outfits and political panics opposed the move saying that Punjab commandos could indulge in atrocities.
Among those opposed to the idea is the largest Opposition party Assam Gana Parishad (AGP) as well as the two leftist parties CPI and IPF.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 17, 1994
