Rs 212 crore to bolster Tamil Nadu police, fire departments

CHENNAI: Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Thursday made a slew of announcements regarding the modernisation of the Police, Fire, and Forensic departments.

An amount of Rs 212 crore has been allotted for the modernisation of the police department with a focus on digital forensics, real-time surveillance, and modern communication and command centres.

Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services (TNFRS) department will receive 50 scuba suits, 25 surveillance drones and 10 payload drones at a combined cost of Rs 4.20 crore. Five air compressors for breathing apparatus will also be provided at Rs 65 lakh. Apart from this, two scuba-diving teams will be formed in the first phase at a cost of Rs 80 lakh, while 10 fire-safety inspection teams will be created at a cost of Rs 3.20 crore.

For the Forensic Sciences Department, two new DNA testing facilities will be established at the regional forensic science laboratories in Salem and Villupuram at a cost of about Rs 14 crore. New cyber-forensic divisions will also be set up at Salem and Tirunelveli at a cost of Rs 18.73 crore. The ballistic division of the Chennai forensic laboratory will get an Automated Ballistic Identification System at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore.