 tile assam rifles (amendment) bill, 19s8(as introduciid in lok sabra)  the assam rifles (amendment) bill, 1958 (as introduced in loie sabra) a bill!urih, to amem the assam rifles aot, 19'1 ba it enacted by parliament in the ninth year of the republic of india u follows:-1 this act may be called the assam rifles (amendment) ad, shott tide lea 5 2 in clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 8 of the assam amcddjqedt rifles act, 1941 after the word "commandant" the words "or an of mction i, , , aetsof assistant commandant" shall be inserted 1941 while clause (4) of sub-section (1) of section 8 of the assam rifles act, 1941 (5 of 1941), confers on a district magistrate and a commandant of the assam rifles powers to award imprisonment extending to twenty-eight days in respect of petty offences against discipline, it confers on an assistant commandant in similar cases powers of punishment extending to seven days the relative status of the authorities no doubt varies, but the differentiation was made --«1 tbe~· of the conditions previously obtaining in the administration of the north-eastern frontier agency when a major ponton of the;area:was i)ot,erjmjnibtttredand the auam riftes outposts w1!re rarely situated beyond fifty miles from the plains and were easily accessible 'lhe '11_1ty for emdaaing, equal powers on an assistant commandant was, therefore, not felt at that time the position has now undergone a radical change and the outposts and wing headquartersof theaam lwiee· ba\lleftow :moved into the interior for some of the outpo~ts, the normauine of communications is by air lift since the punishing power of an assistant commandant is limited, a breach of discipline in remote outposts is dealt with at ipieseotettjaer by ,the  rd gfa light puniahment ,within the powers of assistant commandant or by subjecting the ottender to a mag llulich to the headquarters for trial by a commandant in the former ease, a disproportionately ·light· punishment is apt to create 6 sense gf laxity in tbe ranks of rlflemen and in the latter case, the efteetof the punishment is lost due to delayed award cif 1!ientenee moreover, in certain cases where witnesses have to be examined, they often refuse to go too fur from their homes in the circumstances, it is necessary that assistant commandants should also have the same powers as commandants the bill gives effect to this object new di:lhi; the 24th septemb~, 1958 lakshmi n menon - - - - - 8 (1) a district magistrate or a commandant, or subject to midoj' ollenthe control of the commandant, an assistant commandant, or :u~t subject to the control of the commandant an officer not below the rank of a jamadar commandingjlseparate detachment or an outpost or in temporary command at the headquarters of a district during the absence of the district magistrate, commandant and assistant commandant, may, without a formal trial, a'mll"d to any rifleman below the rank of a naik, who is subject to his authority, any of the following punishments for the commission of any petty offence against discipline, which is not otherwise provided for in this act, or which is not of a suftlciently serious nature to call for prosecution before a criminal court, that is to say,-(a) imprisonment in tbequarter guard, or such other place as may be considered swtable, wr a term whic:b may extend to twenty-eight days when' the order' is passed by a district magistrate or a commandant or to seven days when it is passed by any other officer; , (b) punishment drill, extra guard, fatigue or other duty, not exceeding twenty-eight days in duration, with or without confinement to lines; (c) forfeiture of pay and allowances for a period not exceeding twenty-eight days, - - - - -  a bill further to amelld the assam ri1les act, i~l (shrimati laluhmi n mtftont deputy minister of exttmal affair  ) 