Assam: 48 Police personnel dismissed from service so far in 2023, 250 given voluntary retirement

In all, 48 Assam Police personnel have been dismissed from service so far this year, while more than 250 have been handed voluntary or compulsory retirements, DGP GP Singh said on Tuesday. 

He said close to 600 personnel have also received commendations or medals at various levels for good performance during the period. 

Sharing the figures on X, Singh wrote, "The three important aspects in Assam Police’s journey towards change – training, reward and punishment. 

"By bringing these three aspects together, the public of Assam will receive the active cooperation of a changed, professional and people-friendly police force," he added. Singh said 48 personnel have been dismissed from service till October 31. 

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In all, 247 personnel have opted for voluntary retirement schemes while another seven have been given compulsory retirement, he said. He, however, did not specify reasons for the dismissals or retirements. During the period, 4,807 cops were promoted, the DGP said. 

Altogether 455 have received the Director General’s Commendation Certificate and 88 have won the Director General’s Medal. The CM Assam Medal has been conferred on 37 personnel, the Union Home Minister’s Medal on four and the President’s Gallantry Medal on eight. The President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service and the Police Medal for Meritorious Service were awarded to one personnel each this year, Singh added. 

In May, Singh had said that an exercise to get rid of ‘deadwood’ from the police force would be undertaken in all of its organisations and wings. He said a list of about 680 personnel, who are purportedly habitual drinkers or obese has been drawn, and after a multi-tier thorough review of the names, those found unfit for duty will be offered voluntary retirement. 

The force had also begun an ambitious Body Mass Index (BMI) test of all police personnel from August 16 with the DGP himself taking the screening test. Nearly 2.5 per cent of 70,161 personnel tested were found obese (BMI more than 30) and they will be under medical care for the next three months to make them fit, Singh had said in September. 

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had previously ‘strongly advocated for removing the 'dead wood' from the police force - habitual drinkers, those with extreme obesity and with charges of corruption against them - to turn the force into a responsive and action-oriented one’, during a meeting with top brass of the force. The total strength of the state police force is around 70,000.