The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Centre gives State police mine-protected vehicles

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 22, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Centre gives State police mine-protected vehicles

Staff Reporter

They will help in anti-naxalite and anti-terrorist operations

SPECIAL PROTECTION: Director-General and Inspector-General of Police B.S. Sial with the mine-protected vehicles supplied to the State police by the Centre, in Bangalore on Tuesday. — Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

BANGALORE: The Karnataka Police on Tuesday received three "mine explosive and bullet proof" vehicles from the Union Government. Called mine-protected vehicles, they cost Rs. 52 lakhs each and will help the police in their anti-naxalite and anti-terrorist operations.

Director-General and Inspector-General of Police B.S. Sial told presspersons here that Karnataka is the first State to receive these vehicles. They allow occupants to open fire from inside through top and side ports and protect them from explosives and bullets.

The vehicles, which are specially built at the Ordnance Factory, have been supplied to the State under the national police modernisation scheme.

The Anti-Naxalite Force will use two of the vehicles and one will be used by the Pavagada police station in Tumkur district, Mr. Sial said.

The drivers of the vehicles were specially trained in Andhra Pradesh. Each vehicle weighs 9.6 tonnes and can travel at 80 km an hour. It accommodates 15 people, including the driver, he said.

The State police will shortly get vehicles that can be used by the Anti-Naxalite Force in hilly and marshy areas. These vehicles cost Rs. 9 lakhs each. The police will also get Rakshak vehicles costing Rs. 28 lakhs each, he said.

A proposal has been sent to the State Government for recruiting 17,346 policemen. Another proposal to establish 144 new police stations is pending with the Government, Mr. Sial said.

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