SHILLONG: The Centre’s police modernization scheme could not do what South Asian Games (SAG) has done as far as fortifying the Meghalaya Police is concerned.
The Rs 7.81 crore sanctioned by the Centre and being utilized by the police helped in improving its image in terms of getting the number of equipment related to security in addition to purchasing vehicles and two-wheelers.
The amount was also spent for purchasing surveillance equipments including scanning, screening and monitoring machines, apparatus for traffic personnel among others.
The traffic personnel, who were actively manning the traffic in parts of city, were seen wearing new vests and other apparatus thereby giving them new vigour.
Sources said that earlier when several crores of rupees were sanctioned to Meghalaya over the years under police modernization, the visibility of expenditure incurred was under a cloud compared to the purchase of equipment for surveillance at the stadiums and for improvement of traffic personnel. Other expenditures were for Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants (POL), and logistics as part of maintaining security at the venues of SAG.
A senior government official said that the additional equipment purchased will help the state in using them during other important occasions.
To assist the Shillong police including those from battalions, home guard personnel and existing central forces, there are additional six companies of central para-military forces (600 persons) including Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), BSF and CRPF deployed in city for SAG duty.
While CISF is looking after access to venues, one unit of NSG (100 men) with bomb disposal equipment is stationed in city to tackle any untoward incidents.
“The primary task of the NSG is to ensure safety and security during the games, and to prevent any form of terrorism related activities”, a Home department official said.
