Gogoi rejects Centre's proposals on police reforms

New Delhi, Aug 1 (UNI) Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, a member of the Police Reforms sub-committee of the National Integration Council (NIC), opposed the Centre's proposals to set Federal Agency and a Security Council, besides financial restructuring of Provident Fund (PF) and the selection of the Director General of Police (DGP).

Disclosing this Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told newspersons here today that the meeting was held here on July 29th. He said besides four main issues which he has opposed, most of the other issues on reforms were being supported by him and other members.

He said the other three Chief Minister who were also in the committee are Maharashtra Chief Minister VilasRao DeshmukH, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh yadav and Uttaranchal Chief Minister N D Tiwari.

Mr Gogoi said the issues like the proposal of one police person for every seven hundred people, modernisation of the police station, setting up of the intelegence cell and some other related issues were being supported by all.

He said there is no need for the setting up of a Security Council or for that matter the Federal Agency. The government should rather strengthen the existing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to make it more effective. Creating more agency would only create confusion, he added.

He said as a CM he has opposed the idea of increasing the educational qualification level for the entry into the police force from its present level of 10th standard to 12th standard. He said it is because the educational level in Asom as well as in other North Eastern States is low.

Apart from this he had a seperate meeting with the Health Minister Dr Anbu Mani Ramodas and took up some of the State's pending health related issues with him.

He said the Health Minister has assured him that the long pending issue of upgradation of the Gawhati Medical Colleges will be taken up and for that the Centre will provide a financial support of Rs 119.95 crore has also requested him to allow fifty per cent reservation in the Post Graduation level in medical courses.

Mr Gogoi said he also urged Power Minister Sushil kumar Shinde to take up some of the States pending hydel power projects urgently so that the power situation of this North Eastern State could be improved. He has also requested the Centre to provide 200 mega Watts of additional power to the State from the month of October as the power generation at the North Eastern Power Corporation (NEPCO) is declining and it would be much lower during the winter.

He informed that the Centre has agreed to set up a National Institute of Pharmaceutical and Educational Research Centre where the Centre would be providing a financial support of Rs 150 crores over a period of five years.

Mr Gogoi also called on Congress President Sonia Gandhi and discussed some political issues of the State with her.

He said he will be meeting Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas tomorrow to take up the issue of providing fuel gas at the subsidesed rate of 1920 as against the current rate of Rs 3200 per Million Cubic Standard Meter.

Mr Gogoi said he has informed the Centre that they could fix any date after october 15, 2006 for holding of the National games in the state and the probable dates that is been fixed by the Centre is from February 9 to 18, 2007.

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