Police commandos get Army training
The Assam police is giving an Army touch to the department. Recently, the Assam government recruited 2,720 people, including more than 300 women, and raised five new commando battalions to strengthen the state’s security mechanism. They are now being trained by the Army. The training, being conducted at seven locations in Assam and Meghalaya, will continue for 40 weeks in two phases — basic phase and advanced phase. According to sources, the focus of basic military training will be to make the trainees stronger — mentally and physically.
Dog that helped track rhino poachers dead
Zorba, the dog that helped Assam Forest officials track down more than 60 poachers, died last week due to old age-related ailments. The first dog to be deployed for tracking down poachers, the 12-year-old male Belgian Malinois was a member of ‘K9’, India’s first dog squad to fight wildlife crime. The animal was relieved from duty in December 2019 and kept at the intensive care of K9 unit center of Aaranyak, a leading wildlife NGO. Aaranyak mourned the death. Its CEO and well-known rhino conservation and wildlife crime expert Dr Bibhab Kumar Talukdar said, “Zorba’s contribution during his lifetime will always be remembered.”
Meghalaya to set up border outposts
In the backdrop of the incident of firing on its border with Assam, Meghalaya has decided to set up police outposts in the sensitive areas. A decision towards this effect was taken at an all-party meeting which Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma chaired. Various NGOs in the state had demanded the setting up of police outposts near the border. Recently, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said the firing incident had nothing to do with border dispute. But both states had claimed the site of incident was within their territory.
prasanta mazumdar
Our correspondent in Guwahati
prasantamazumdar@newindianexpress.com