Southern States
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Karnataka
Karnataka Police to become tech. savvy
By K. Satyamurty
BANGALORE, DEC. 6. Karnataka's police force will be among the most technically advanced in India within the next four years.
The modernisation of the State police will cost Rs. 750 crores, with Rs. 165.70 crores already spent during the initial phase in 2000-01, Rs. 150 crores budgeted for the current year, and matching amounts over the next three fiscal years.
The Additional Director-General of Police, in charge of Telecommunications, Transport and Modernisation, Mr. K.R. Srinivasan, told The Hindu here on Thursday that the State Government would share 50 per cent of the expenditure, with the balance coming from the Centre.
The ongoing modernisation project covers complete computerisation and networking of all police stations and outposts in the State, upgradation of weaponry, transportation, communication and other equipment, and new buildings.
Nearly one- third of the expense will be for construction of residential quarters for police personnel of all ranks, with additional funds for other buildings such as training schools, police stations and communication centres.
The Rs. 12-crore Police Academy coming up in Gulbarga is part of the buildings segment of the project.
On the communications side, more channels are being added to the police wireless network, and Bangalore now has nine channels, including two exclusively dedicated to traffic control.
Each police zone within Bangalore is to have a separate channel, and there will be no jamming of frequencies and consequent communication gaps in emergency situations.
``Eventually even the beat constables are likely to have their own two-way radios for faster communication,'' Mr. Srinivasan said. Specially designed wireless equipment for difficult terrain such as hills and thick forests are also being acquired.
Police transportation has already been upgraded in Bangalore with better vehicles ranging from those used by mobile patrols to vans and trucks for transporting larger contingents of personnel. The other districts will soon get newer vehicles.
Weapons used by the police are also being upgraded, with attention given to the needs of personnel in cities for tear-gas guns and rubber bullets for riot control.
The most technically advanced part of the modernisation programme is the total computerisation of police stations across the State with links to the police communication network, covering regional and central headquarters.
The State headquarters in Bangalore will eventually be able to access records from all police stations and, in the initial phase, the city police headquarters will have instant access to the latest data in all the police stations.
The necessary IT training is being provided by KEONICS, and 1,800 police personnel have already become computer savvy. ``The aim is to start computer and communication training from the cutting-edge level of the police stations,'' Mr. Srinivasan explained.
Another use of latest technology will be in upgrading the Forensic Science Laboratory with equipment matching those used by forensic experts in the West.
At the field level, equipment ranging from night-vision binoculars to fingerprint kits and digital cameras for crime scene investigations will be provided.
Highway safety measures are an important part of the programme, covering important highways and their intersections with town roads across the State. Apart from more traffic signals, measures like widening approach roads and elimination of risky curves close to busy intersections are being carried out.
Construction of buildings, including residential quarters will be taken up in association with the Karnataka Police Housing Corporation, Karnataka Land Army Corporation and the PWD.
Many of the equipment will be designed and maintained by organisations such as Bharat Electronics which have researched the special needs of the police.
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