‘Government fails to keep its promise’

DIBRUGARH, July 17: The State Government has failed to keep its promise to provide jobs to at least one member in the families of the police personnel who died in attacks by ULFA or on duty, alleged some youths in a press meet held here today.

Babul Dihingia, son of late Naren Dihingia, said after his father was a police constable at Milannagar police station and was shot dead by ULFA assailants while on duty at the AGP office on May 1, 2001 on the eve of Legislative Assembly Election, the then Governor, SK Sinha, DGP Harekrishna Deka, Central Ministers– Pramode Mahajan and Ram Naik had visited the bereaved family and promised to provide a job to a member of the family, he added. According to Babul Dihingia, he and dependants of police personnel who had died on harness have been making the rounds of the secretariat and meeting the ministers as well as officials without any results. He said that, eight of them had been selected in the test held for the posts of police constables few months back and submitted necessary documents at the SP’s office here. However, their appointment letters never came while candidates in other districts had already joined their duties.

Padmawati Dihingia, the wife of late Nakul Dihingia, was also present during the press meet. She said that, her husband had died on duty due to heart attack and had been promised that her son would be given a job on compassionate ground. Whenever she goes to inquire about the matter, she is fobbed off saying that the processing was on or asked to submit documents, Padmawati Dihingia added. Her son, Sunil Dihingia, expressed apprehension that they would have crossed the age of employment and considered ineligible by the time the Government did something regarding providing jobs. Babul Dihingia said that, he had moved the High Court, who had cited a judgment passed in a similar case. In the case of Achyut Ranjan Das against the State Government, the latter was ordered to provide the former with a job. By that light, he deserved to get a job, Dihingia added.

Meanwhile, the wives of three deceased police personnel and their sons have decided to go on hunger strike if the State Government did not act within the next fifteen days. source: THE SENTINEL