Several injured in police baton charge on home guard personnel on election duty

MANGALDOI: Police resorted to baton charge on home guard at police reserve here in Darrang district today when the latter vandalised furniture protesting against “inadequate” allowance for election duty.

Dissatisfied by the allowance from district administrations for performing election duty, a section of home guards went on the rampage at the police reserve smashing plastic garden chairs and tables causing extensive damage.

Sources said, as the situation appeared to go out of control, police and paramilitary force personnel were ordered to use force to bring the situation under control. Several personnel are stated to have sustained major injuries in baton charge by CRPF and SSB personnel.

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Protesting home guard personnel said they were about 250 in number whom the Assam Police called for duty. Upon arrival, they alleged that they were not provided adequate amount of compensation for the past three days and neither were they deployed on duty.

“We deserved an honourarium of Rs 5100 for the election duty. But, the police administration said they could pay us only Rs 600. However, we were neither paid anything, nor deployed on duty. When we asked for payment and deployment, as most of us were nearly starving, the police administration used force against us. We are not here to fight with anybody. We’ve come here for duty and if we cannot be deployed we requested for our transporation back to our respective districts,” said one of the protesters.

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Attempts to contact Darrang district police administration proved futile.

Similar protests erupted in Silchar as well last evening. The situation was brought under control with the intervention of the district administration.