April 17: When one door closes, another always opens. Assam police seem to have opened one for the children of personnel who have died fighting insurgents in the state.

The Assam Police Wives’ Welfare Organisation will soon initiate a project to open a hostel in north Guwahati for the children of slain police personnel.

“We are compiling figures of children whose father or mother have died fighting militants. We are trying to find out who among them are interested in staying in the hostel to pursue higher education in Guwahati. We will provide them with free food and board,” said Anju Mathur, president of the organisation.

She said though preference would be given to the children of the slain police personnel, wards of cops who have died in accidents or any other reason on duty would also be eligible to stay in the hostel.

Children of cops injured in similar incidents while on duty would also get the benefit.

“This has been a dream project of the organisation and it is finally taking shape. After all, children of the police personnel who have fallen victim to militancy deserve a better life,” she added.

The inspector-general of police (law and order and special task force), Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, has been providing help to the organisation on this welfare project.

He said plans were on to start vocational training courses for the children in the hostel.

The police department has also been thinking of recruiting a welfare officer, a professional from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, to look after the children in the hostel.

“We are serious about this project and the facilities at the hostel would be of top class,” Mahanta said.

Assam police have sanctioned Rs 1 crore for the project and more funds would be sought from the Centre. The money was allocated in last year’s budget for the rehabilitation of family members of policemen who died fighting militants.

Asked if there could be a security threat to the boarders given that they would be easily identifiable as being children or wards of policemen by virtue of their staying in the exclusive hostel, another official associated with the project said the matter would be taken care of.

“We will take all steps to ensure their security. This project is on and we will not be cowed down by anybody,” he said. “We are determined to give the children a decent opportunity to pursue their dreams in this city.”