Assam: Shah Inaugurates 1st Phase of Lachit Barphukan Police Academy

Guwahati: Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday slammed the previous Congress governments for neglecting Assam's development and failing to ensure peace in the state after he inaugurated the first phase of the revamped Lachit Borphukan Police Academy at Dergaon in Golaghat district.

The Union home minister also laid the foundation of the second phase of the academy. While addressing the inaugural ceremony, Mr Shah said that the revamped academy in Upper Assam’s Golaghat district will facilitate high-tech training for the police forces of entire northeastern states, adding that it will be the best police academy in the country in the next five years.

Lauding the efforts of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in improving the state police force, Mr Shah said that Assam's conviction rate has improved from 5 per cent to 25 per cent in the last 3 years.

“I am confident that it will cross the national average soon,” said Mr Shah while pointing out that over 10,000 youth laid down arms and joined the mainstream. Peace returned to Assam in the last 10 years.

In his address, Mr Shah also slammed the previous Congress governments for neglecting Assam's development.

“Under the 10-year Congress rule, Assam received `1.27-lakh crores as a devolution grant and grant-in-aid. But under PM (Narendra) Modi’s leadership, this amount has increased to `4.95-lakh crores - a fourfold rise. Why did the Congress ignore Assam and fail to bring peace here? Under the Modi rule, everything has been restored in Assam,” Mr Shah said.

Mr Shah said: "I have also been beaten up by the Congress government in Assam. Hiteshwar Saikia was the chief minister… We used to raise slogans against former PM Indira Gandhi… People from all over the country came to save Assam. I was jailed too and had to eat jail food for seven days in Assam. Today, Assam is moving ahead on the path of development."

Asserting that the Central government is committed to the all-round development of the state, the Union home minister said that the chief minister has succeeded in attracting an investment of `5-lakh crores while the Central government is also going to invest `3-lakh crores in addition to private investment proposals.

“I am of the view that the Assam chief minister will ensure that the entire commitment of `5-lakh crores will be translated into reality,” said Mr Shah, who also took a tour of the police academy spread over 340 acres. The Lachit Borphukan Police Academy is being refurbished at an estimated cost of `1,024 crores in two phases.

The `167.4 crores first phase includes a five-story building housing smart classrooms, a weapon stimulator, research labs and administrative offices, among other facilities, besides a museum and a modern parade ground.

"This modern infrastructure is designed to give the trainees both theoretical and practical aspects of police training seamlessly," an official of the academy told the media.

The weapon training simulator will help in preparing law enforcement personnel for real-world combat scenarios in a completely safe environment without involving risks, hazards and costs, he said.

The simulators can be adapted to a number of firearms to impart basic training, hone firing skills and test the skill level of the trainees. It is aimed at training recruits for special courses as well as in commando training, the official said. The smart classrooms will feature interactive digital boards and personal computers. The building will also have a library, computer labs and seminar rooms.

A museum and a modern parade ground have also been constructed as part of the first phase, the official said.

Housing infrastructure at the academy is proposed to be developed in the second phase at a cost of `425.48 crores. It will provide residential quarters for 240 families, hostels for 312 officers and personnel and 2,640 trainees, he said.

Mr Sha was accompanied by Mr Sarma and Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal, among others.