Shillong: Challenges like terrorism, insurgency and left-wing extremism persistently threaten to disrupt the development and progress of the nation, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju on Saturday said
The minister also announced a grant of Rs 2 crore for North Eastern Police Academy’s (NEPA) welfare and foreign training component.
“The challenges that our country is facing on its march towards achieving its rightful place in the comity of nations are complex and manifold,” he said.
“The duties assigned to police officers of NE states goes beyond their normal law and order duties and include dealing with insurgency and cross border crimes,” Rijiju said.
He was addressing the Dikshant Parade (passing out parade) of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) probationers and Sub-Inspectors of the 40the Batch Course at the North Eastern Police Academy (NEPA) here.
Rijiju said the Centre will sanction a welfare grant of Rs one crore to NEPA for financial year 2014-15 and provision of Rs one crore is made for foreign training component from next financial year 2015-16.
He expressed confidence that the training imparted by the NEPA will prepare the police officers to face any such challenges in the future.
“I hope that these trainees who are passing out today will not only strengthen the police force but also contribute greatly towards a more secure nation,” the minister added.
Stating that the Indian police occupy a very important place in the system of governance, he said, “this is because it is vested with the mandate to ensure rule of law, prevent and detect crime, and ensure internal as well as external security of the nation.”
The minister, however, said that policing has become a very complex activity in today’s liberal, democratic society adding it requires great sensitivity, intellect, strength of character, courage and above all a very real desire to serve the communities.
In its traditional role of ensuring safety of people besides effective law and order, he said, “The police force, in fact, acts as a catalyst for economic growth of our country.”
Stating that NEPA has emerged as the premier training institute for police officers of NE states, he said, “I am happy to know that on the advice of the home secretary, a committee under the chairmanship of the Director of National Police Academy, Hyderabad, has worked out a plan to develop NEPA into a centre of ‘excellence’.”
Union minister of state for Home Kiren Rijiju also assured to take up the other pending issues in the Ministry in order to strengthen and upgrade the academy.
Extending his congratulations to the passing out personnel, he said, “I am sure you will be faithful to the nation and discharge your duties with utmost loyalty, dedication and honesty and inspire confidence in your team,” adding “It is important for all of you to provide good leadership so as to contribute to organizational growth and prosperity.”
Earlier, in her speech, NEPA Director Doley Barman informed that out of the total 169 trainees belonging to the 40th Batch Course, a forty-eight weeks training programme, five are women DSPs (probationers) and 30 Cadet Sub-Inspectors coming from the eight North Eastern states.
“With many months of gruelling training, the trainees who are passing out today are professionally skilled officers? they have the knowledge and they have the competence,” she said.
She also informed that besides the basic course, about a thousand personnel were trained in various in-service training programmes.
Interestingly, even Bangladesh have also sent trainees for courses such as counter insurgency and jungle warfare, cyber crime, basic armourer course, explosives and bomb disposal course, tactics, collection of intelligence besides others, Barma revealed.
Awards and medals were also presented by the minister to the trainees for their outstanding performances during the training. (PTI)
