Guwahati gets Police Commissioner, joins ranks of big cities

Assam's capital on Thursday joined the league of big cities in the country with adoption of Police Commissionerate system by ending 10-year-old administration of Senior Superintendent of Police. Additional Director General of Police (TAP) Jyotirmoy Chakravarty is the first Police Commissioner of Guwahati city and has been conferred with all the powers of a District Magistrate.

"Creating the Commissionerate was not about giving more power to the police but greater responsibility to serve the people. The Commissionerate will be more citizen-centric," Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said while introducing the new system.

The focus of the Police Commissionerate would be on civil policing, he added.

"There are Nagarik Committees in most areas of the city and the police will work in close coordination with them to bring down the crime rate effectively," Gogoi said. The present DIG of CWR NMASF Haque has been appointed as the Joint Commissioner of Police, Guwahati.

The government has appointed all police officers under the Commissioner of Police not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police as Executive Magistrates with jurisdiction within the said metropolitan area and they shall exercise and perform their powers and duties under the general control of the Commissioner of Police, Guwahati.

Besides, the government has constituted three police districts headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police for each district. The three police districts will be East Police District, Central Police District and West Police District demarcating each area of functioning as well as their respective territorial jurisdiction.