Integrated police control room, a distant dream

BHOPAL: While the police headquarters has already cleared the proposal for the construction of an integrated police control room here, the work on it is yet to start.
Officials said the work could not be started due to requisite formalities, but it would now be initiated soon. The tenders have been floated and the project would be allotted to an agency within a few days, officials added.Notably, the city's age old police control room was to be razed to make way for an upscale office. A new integrated police control room is to come up at a cost of Rs 8 crore at the site of existing police control room. Under the project, new buildings will come up on two acres of land. It will have upgraded radio operating systems, city surveillance and forensic facilities, besides command and control office for vehicles. It will also facilitate separate space for bomb disposal squads, meeting halls, reserve forces, recreational centre, integrated parking, a new police station and chamber of officers. The project is under police modernisation head. Police headquarters had cleared the proposal early this year. In April, officials had said that a target of 18 months has been set for its completion and the work would start without any further delay. However, the work could not take off even after eight months.
Meanwhile, the officials have already got meeting room renovated at the police control room. Police control room is located between the new and the old city. It is used by officials to convene meetings. Besides, an additional SP, a city SP, BDS, FSL units and company of reserve forces are also stationed there. Reserve Inspector Vijay Dubey said the work is expected to start soon. Police Housing Corporation would get the work initiated soon.