Asish Mehta
Bhubaneswar: Orissa Police officials told this newspaper that they would execute a massive force modernisation plan in 2017.
Talking to Orissa POST, DGP Kunwar Brajesh Singh said one of their top priorities in 2017 is to modernise the police force of the state.
“We have decided to make the emergency response system of police more robust,” the DGP said.“We will integrate the police emergency services (100), ambulance services (108) and fire services (101) for the betterment of the people,” he added.
The DGP’s statement came in the wake of Union Home Ministry’s plan to have nationwide single emergency response system under the ‘Nirbhaya’ scheme.
“It is envisaged that on the lines of the 911 emergency helpline in the US, India will have 112 as the number for seeking emergency services including police, fire and ambulance. The government is keen to use 112 as the emergency number since it is the only three-digit number which can be dialed from a mobile phone even if the handset is locked,” sources said.
“The project which is likely to be implemented by 2017 has primary focus on identifying and locating a person in distress. The plan was mooted in the aftermath of the December 16, 2012 gangrape of a student in Delhi. The aim of the project was to integrate emergency call numbers like those for police, fire and ambulance into one to not only act as receivers of emergency calls but also as responders in a very quick time,” they added.
The DGP also hinted at intensifying anti-Naxal operations in the state in 2017 by deploying more forces in Naxal affected areas, and asserted that activities of tender and sand mafia will be curbed. PNN
