Mumbai:
Nearly a year after 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the city gets its first batch of Force One commandos, an elite force formed on the lines of National Security Guards (NSG) for the state security.
Over 1,600 young policemen from the state had expressed their willingness to join the Force and were given rigorous training by Israeli and German trainers, Iyengar said. The State Government has alloted land at Goregaon in western suburbs to the Force for training and easy access in emergency situation, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Chandra Iyengar said.
The Home Department has also focused on upgradation of police force, coastal security, strengthening Intelligence and participation of local people in security. Police Department has been provided with new weapons, vehicles and technologies, which would make them alert in case of any emergency situation, Iyengar said. "Police personnel have been trained in such a way that they respond to any situation," she said.
The information would first go to the local police station and then a Quick Response Team (QRT) would deal with the situation and later, Force One would take charge. The QRT is trained in such a way that it would reach a place within 20 minutes. It has also been provided bullet proof jackets and armed vehicles, Iyengar said.
For the coastal security, the Government has provided high speed boats for patrolling and 'Sagar Suraksha Dal', a group of local fishermen, has been formed to collect information.
"The fishermen have been provided mobile phones and SIM cards to keep coastal security and police updated if they notice something suspicious," she said, adding, about 40,000 fishermen have received identity cards from the Government.
The Intelligence structure has been streamlined and strengthened with recruitment of new people and giving them training, she said.
The department will soon submit a report on the work done to beef up security, a year after the terror attacks, to Chief Minister Ashok Chavan. "Lot of work has been done in the year and we are compiling the report to submit it to the Chief Minister. We would also make it public, as people should know what the department has done," she said.