Guwahati (The Stellar News): Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA), while appreciating the State government’s decision to judiciously use the government sponsored security cover to individuals, urges the concerned media persons to abandon the same voluntarily so that those personnel can be engaged in proper channels. It may be mentioned that Assam government in a recent resolutiondecided to allot personal security officers (PSOs) rationally so that it does not become a status symbol for politicians (also other individuals). State chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, also in charge of home portfolio, announced himself about the decision.
He even declared that allotment of government accommodation and security cover to former State chief ministers will also be curtailed to a greater extent. Sarma finally revealed that, hereafter PSOs would be made available to those in constitutional posts or in positions that require security cover subject to screening by a review committee. “We know some editor-journalists are presently enjoying the government security cover and we would expect them also to decide to voluntarily abandon the PSOs at the earliest,” said a JFA statement endorsed by its president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria.
