Rs 20 cr sanction to modernise state police control rooms

The state government has sanctioned Rs 20 crore for the modernisation of state police control rooms under the ambitious Maharashtra Emergency Response System (Dial 112) project. This technologydriven project will ensure that the police response time improves to 10 minutes in urban areas and 15 minutes in rural areas. Under the Dial 112 project, state-of-the-art control rooms will be set up in all 45 police commissionerates and district police offices across the state, officials informed.

According to the state government officials, a proposal was sent to the state government in January, for sanction of Rs 39.36 crore funds for the modernisation of police control rooms across the state. “The government has now decided to disburse Rs 20 crore for the project,” said an official.

Under the project, a primary contact centre (PCC) has been set up in Navi Mumbai while a secondary contact centre (SCC) has been set up in Nagpur. With the service in place, citizens across the state will have to dial only one tollfree number (112) to call the police in case of an emergency.

“In August last year, the additional director general of police (planning and coordination) had requested to get 68 posts sanctioned for the effective functioning of the PCC and SCC. Following this request the government had decided that the unit commanders will have to designate required personnel from their force for the project,” said a home department official.

In July last year, minister of state for home and IT, Satej Patil had tweeted, “As many as 1,502 four-wheelers and 2,269 two-wheelers used by police will have a mobile data terminal and GPS system. Of these, 849 four-wheelers and 1,372 two-wheelers have already been installed with the system that is technically foolproof. Patil added that the technology has enabled these vehicles to be ready for roundthe-clock service to citizens.