Urgent mega city policing

NEW DELHI: Mega City Policing, a major component of a comprehensive police modernisation scheme, is expected to be extended to all the major cities in the aftermath of recent serial blasts across Assam.

The Union Home Ministry is considering an early implementation of the scheme conceived with the aim of meeting specific challenges in policing major urban centres and bringing all big cities under its ambit.

Sources said to ensure success of the scheme, Home Minister Shivraj Patil was in favour of increasing the Central allocation for it.

After the Assam blasts, which claimed over 75 lives, Patil asked his senior officials about the status of the progress on the scheme introduced in 2005-06 and wanted them to suggest how the proposals could be put on the fast-track.

Under the scheme, which is being operationalised in seven cities, four metros and Hyderabad, Bangalore and Ahmedabad, the Centre will provide financial assistance to respective state governments to procure modern equipment and upgrade its police infrastructure.

Sources said the scheme is intended to curb urban violence, crime and terrorism in the cities which have crossed population of more than ten lakh.

There are around 35 cities across the country that qualify as mega city and at present Jaipur, Bhopal, Lucknow, Chandigarh and Kanpur are likely to be brought within the ambit of the scheme