70,000 houses to be built for police personnel

Rs. 500-crore loan to be raised for project Department to purchase 500 vehicles

BANGALORE: The Home Department will build 70,000 residential quarters for policemen in the next three years at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,500 crore.

Addressing presspersons here on Wednesday, Minister for Home V.S. Acharya said there were one lakh police personnel in the State and only 30,000 policemen had been given residential quarters. Nearly 7,500 houses were in a dilapidated state and were unsafe for living.

The department proposed to construct 70,000 residential quarters in various parts of the State by raising a Rs. 500-crore loan, he said.

The Karnataka Police Housing Corporation would build the quarters, Dr. Acharya said.

Around 500 vehicles would be purchased for the department at a cost of Rs. 18 crore. On Tuesday, the Minister handed over 23 vehicles, including 18 Hoysala, to the department.

The second unit of the India Reserve Battalion would be raised in Dharwad district. The Union Home Department had requested the Government to provide details related to land and location to establish the unit and a minimum of 500 acres would be required, Dr. Acharya said. The first unit of India Reserve Battalion had been raised in Koppal district. On filling vacancies, he said 142 assistant public prosecutors would be recruited soon.

Dr. Acharya clarified that no Minister was under intelligence surveillance and no orders had been issued directing the police or intelligence officials to watch Ministers’ movements. 

(The Hindu/Spl Correspondent) 

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Paramilitary unit ready by next year

Bangalore: The India Reserve Battalion (IRB), a paramilitary force on the lines of the CRPF, based in Karnataka will be operational within a year. Home minister V S Acharya said here on Wednesday the state govt is acquiring 500 acres of land in Dharwad to set up the IRB headquarters, besides a training centre in Koppal. Though the new unit will be at the disposal of the Union home ministry, it would be under state control under an Inspector-General of Police. 

1500 new vehicles for police: The state will soon replace 1,500 old and obsolete police vehicles with new ones, at a cost of Rs 18 crore. "The new vehicles, which are faster and more powerful than the old ones, will be introduced to the existing fleet,'' Acharya said. 

He said every police vehicle will be condemned after 10 years of induction and auctioned after getting the state govt`s permission through the director general of police. 

142 APPs to be appointed: Considering a long-pending demand, the state government will soon appoint 142 assistant public prosecutors to fill the existing vacancies in the state, Acharya said. 

Scheme to bring dry lands under cultivation in six districts