Successive State Governments failed to equip the River Police to perform its assigned tasks properly.

THE River Police Force is facing ridicule for failing to check infiltration from Bangladesh. It was a half hearted attempt and was bound to fail, say officials and non-official familiar with the reverine force which has been asked to check crime and smuggling.

The Force is yet to get its full force though it was set up in 1979.. Several posts of Deputy Superintendent of Police, Assistant Engineers and other technical staff are lying vacant.

Sanctioned strength is three inspectors, nine sub inspectors, 12 ASIs and 104 constables but at present, it has only one inspector, seven SIs, 10 ASIs and 84 constables. The present strength is not adequate to carry out the tasks of checking influx, smuggling and crime. Compounding the miseries is the shortage of boats.

Successive governments have neglected the River Police Force,
it is said. The Centre is no less a culprit. It is sitting on the proposal for a full fledged battalion to
man Assam’s reverine border of 110 kms with Bangladesh in Dhubri (46km), Karimganj (41km)
and Cachar (23 km). Only Dhubri has the RPF out posts. The Barak Valley districts have no RPF presence!

The river police force can also play a vital role in checking the chars, along the reverine international border to detect fresh migrants, but under the present circumstances, it is difficult for the force to do so as the chars are mostly dominated by persons belonging to the religious minority groups and policemen always face resistance whenever they try to check the identity of the people. "Only when there is some dispute between the old and new settlers, the police get cooperation from the char people," Border Police sources said.

Over the years, successive State Governments failed to equip the River Police to perform its assigned tasks properly. At present, the force has only four police stations – Pancharatna, Sualkuchi, Tezpur and Biswanath Ghat. The Pancharatna station has four outposts at Chandardinga, Mozarlaga, Mahamaya and Aye, while, the Sualkuchi station has three outposts – Nagarbera, Pandu and Beki. But the Karimganj and Cachar districts have no reverine police station.

Despite the hardships, the river police force registered 76 cases in 1998, 68 in 1999, 71 in 2000, 103 in 2001 and 92 cases last year. It is said process has been set in motion to acquire 20 steel boats – 10 big and 10 small – by tapping the Home Ministry’s scheme for modernisation of police force.

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