The Hindu : Front Page : Mobile phones for all policemen

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Monday, Mar 02, 2009
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Mobile phones for all policemen

Special Correspondent

Broad-band Internet connections for all police stations in the State

Kodiyeri Balakrishnan says all police records will be computerised.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government proposes to provide broad-band Internet connections to all police stations in the State and mobile phones to all policemen. All records in police stations will be computerised using free software.

Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said here on Sunday that mobile phones and SIM cards would be issued to all members of the State police free of charge. At present, only officers of the rank of sub-inspector and above enjoyed this facility. The government had entered into an agreement with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for providing connections to about 40,000 policemen. With this, use of the existing wireless sets could be limited. The police constables would avail themselves of the facility during their service and should surrender it on retirement.

The Minister said in an official release that all landline numbers and mobile numbers of the police force would be brought under a single network. Free calls would be allowed from each phone to one mobile and one landline phone number outside the network. The monthly charge for each connection would be Rs.100. Calls to numbers within the network would not be chargeable. Mr. Balakrishnan said the private network connections sanctioned to police officers earlier would be shifted to the BSNL network.

He said that broad-band Internet connections would be established in all 436 police stations in the State. Free software would be used for computerisation of police stations. The government had already decided to expand video-conferencing facilities between courts and jails.

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