VIJAYAWADA: A proposal to introduce community policing in industrial estates in Krishna district is under serious consideration. Special teams consisting of the police and security personnel of industrial units will guard industrial estates round-the-clock.

Alerted by the kidnap of two employees of Nagarjuna Cements Limited (NCL) from the company's site at Kadimpothavaram village in G. Konduru mandal last month, the police have shifted focus to industrial security.

Besides offering special training to security guards, the police will give licence to the industrial units and manpower consultancies to carry weapons. Licence will not be issued to individuals.

The need

The plan will be implemented on the lines of the existing security system in Cyberabad police commissionerate limits in the State capital.

Members of the CPI (ML) Pratighatana group had kidnapped two senior employees and demanded a ransom of Rs. 1 crore from the company in lieu of their release. Following the arrest of two members of the group by the police, the kidnappers released the employees.

"Pratighatana is a group known for extortion and it is in no way connected to the Maoists. But the kidnap attempt has brought to the fore the need to curb such activities and infuse confidence among industrialists," says Murugesh Kumar Singh, Superintendent of Police of Krishna district.

The police will collect information pertaining to industrial units across the district from the Industries Department and urge the latter to update the data at regular intervals.

"In fact, we do not know that the NCL was constructing a plant in Kadimpothavaram till the kidnap episode," he says. The exercise of identifying the industries will be followed by meetings with the representatives of these units and preparation of a draft plan on security.

"Proper coordination among security guards and support from the police will help them face eventualities, if any, in a confident way," he observes.

The police have already initiated steps to prevent the entry of extremists into the district.

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