City to get Central Command Centre to tackle terror

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday, announced in the budget, a Central Command Centre for Bengaluru to tackle terrorist activities.

He also announced the setting up of three more anti-naxal squads to be deployed on State’s border with Tamil Nadu and Kerala, where Maoist activities have been reported in the recent past.

Director General and Inspector General of Police Om Prakash told Deccan Herald, “The Internal Security Division (ISD) had submitted a proposal seeking three more anti-naxal squads to tackle the Maoist menace. The ISD has identified three locations for deploying the squads.”

In all, the Home Department has been allocated Rs 4,372 crore in the budget. The allocations have been made to procure modern arms and ammunition (Rs three crore), introducing traffic improvement projects - Bel-Track and H-Track for Belagavi and twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad (Rs 25 crore), respectively; setting up of another prison on Bengaluru outskirts and Home Guards and Civil Defence Training Centre at Vijayapura (Rs 70 lakh).

These projects would be taken up in a phased manner over the next three to five years. The Bengaluru police have been allocated Rs eight crore to instal CCTV cameras.

While CCTV cameras would be installed in 20 district prisons, solar lighting systems will be fixed in 10 district prisons and 5 central prisons will get telemedicine. The government has decided to extend the B-Track project for Bengaluru for the next three years.

About 300 highway patrolling vehicles with sophisticated equipment will be procured under Highway Safety Scheme. Commissioning of 30 new police stations, including 10 women police stations across the State, was also announced in the budget.

Further, the budget proposes to set up of 6 special units, headed by an officer of SP rank and comprising 15 policemen, to probe crimes against women, reconstitution of FSL to enhance the quantum of punishment, sanctioning of Rs 1,000 as medical allowance to police personnel, and setting up of 50 outpatient police health centres.