GUWAHATI, Jan 28 ? For more than 50 years, the Village Defence Parties (VDPs) are playing a key role in keeping the crime graph down all over the State and recently the State Government has introduced schemes like giving awards to the best VDP of districts, ex-gratia payments to the next of kin of the VDP men killed by extremists etc to encourage them to put up a better performance. Talking to The Assam Tribune here today, the DIG (Administration) of the Assam police, Sri BJ Mahanta, who is also the chief controller of VDP in Assam, said that the concept of VDPs was first initiated by Harinarayan Baruah of Titabor in 1950 and the Government recognised the VDPs in 1952. The VDP Act was promulgated in 1960 and from a small beginning, the State now has more than 11,000 VDPs having a total active membership of more than a lakh persons. Apart from the recognised VDPs, the State also has at least three thousand unrecognised VDPs.
Sri Mahanta said that over the years, the VDPs are playing a vital role in keeping the crime graph down in the rural areas. In recent years, the VDPs are playing a key role in guarding vital installations, strategically important bridges, railway tracks, oil pipelines etc from extremist attacks. He said that a sizeable number of cases ranging from dacoity, theft etc are detected by the police only with the help of the VDPs. The DIG admitted that so far the Government has not been able to provide much financial benefit to the VDP men. At present, the VDP men are getting only a amount of Rs 50 per month as honorium and blankets, umbrella, lamps etc to work as night guards. But sometimes, this meagre amount is also not released on time due to the financial position of the State Government.
However, of late, the State Government has initiated steps to encourage the VDPs to improve their performance Sri Mahanta said that since 1998, 16 VDP men were killed by extremists and dacoits while on duty and the State Government has decided to pay ex-gratia amount of Rs 20,000 each to the next of kin of all these brave VDP men who laid down their lives while protecting their villages from anti-social elements. The State Government has also decided to give awards to the best VDP of each district and a proper selection criteria has been chalked for the same. A medal will also be presented to the best circle organiser of the VDP in the district. All these cash incentives and other awards will be presented for the first time in the 54th foundation day celebration of the VDP, to be held in Mangaldoi from tomorrow.
Sri Mahanta said that efforts are on to provide civil defence training to the VDPs so that they can take all necessary steps to protect the people of their respective villages in case of natural disasters like earthquake, floods etc. Steps have also been initiated for improving the coordination between VDPs and the police and a sensitisation course for the officers in-charge of the police stations and sub-inspectors has also been initiated for making them aware of the need for improving coordination with the VDPs to prevent activities of the anti-social elements.? Efforts are also on to bring the citizens? committee formed in Guwahati city under the VDP Act. The VDP chief controller said that Assam was the first State in the country to form VDPs. Former Punjab police chief KPS Gill started forming VDPs in Punjab with great success, while, only recently, such steps have been initiated in Jammu and Kashmir to tackle insurgency.