Crack down on drug smuggling: Toll gate surveillance to intensify in TN

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday announced several measures to crack down on drug smuggling, including setting up of a pioneering integrated check post surveillance centre and integration of prohibition and narcotics wings in the State.

Replying to the debate on the demand for grants for the Home Department in the State Assembly, Chief Minister M K Stalin said that an integrated toll gate surveillance centre, a pioneering scheme in the country, would be established at a cost of Rs 9 crore to control the activities of drug smugglers, criminals from other states and people engaging in smuggling. The centre would be established by integrating 55 toll gates in the State and 50 vehicular check posts at the inter-state border and optimizing surveillance of vehicles on National Highways and installing automatic number plate cameras, Stalin said. Prohibition Eenforcement Wing and Narcotics Intelligence Bureau would be merged and developed as Narcotics Prevention and Prohibition Enforcement Wing to prevent the use and circulation of drugs among the people of the state.

Drone division expanded; three more traffic zones in city

The Chief Minister also announced that the drone police division would be expanded at a cost of Rs 1.2 crore to improve surveillance in congested areas in the city, reduce response time for distress calls, increase surveillance in VIP corridors and crime-prone areas and rescue people trapped in a high rise building fire and drowning incidents. The establishment of the Traffic Regulation Observed Zone (TROZ), currently available at Anna Nagar, on three new routes in the state capital at a cost of Rs 10.50 crore was among the 78 announcements made by him.

Other announcements:

* A new app would be created at a cost of Rs 30 lakh to warn people about cybercrimes by providing details of cybercriminals viz bank accounts, social media handles, email accounts and mobile phones.

* A new app ‘Parunthu’ (Falcon) would be developed at Rs 33 lakh to execute warrants and monitor cases against history sheeters.

* An integrated vehicle surveillance app would be developed at Rs 2 crore to track stolen and suspicious vehicles using automatic number plate readers.

* Six-inch handheld devices numbering 1,850 would be provided to all police stations for hasty and transparent passport verification.

* Police training college in Ashok Nagar would be shifted to Tamil Nadu Police Academy in Vandalur.

* A deputy commissioner post would be created for the cybercrime wing and the newly created Kolthur Police district in Chennai. Two new assistant commissioner posts would be created for Kolathur and Virugambakkam.

* A new fire commission would be constituted to recommend the execution of technological advancements, streamline fire safety certificates issued to buildings and propose new schemes for fire service personnel and offer the latest training.

* A new ‘Anandham’ scheme would be launched to train women cops on work-life balance.

* A two-wheeler patrol vehicle each to 278 police stations in 139 municipalities at Rs 3 crore. Four-wheeler patrol vehicles for 20 police stations to optimize patrol and hastily address distress calls in Thoothukudi, Erode and Hosur corporations at Rs 2 crore.

* Rs 2.5 crore for maintenance of 65,000 CCTV cameras in the Greater Chenni Police limit.

* A social media centre would be established in the state police headquarters at Rs 3 crore to monitor social media and prevent law and order problems caused by wrong posts on social media.

* An integrated High Court police station (ground + nine floors) and fire station (ground + eight floors) would be constructed.

* Public grievance meetings would be organized every fortnight at district SP and city police commissionerates.

* An automated traffic warning system assisted by Google maps would be developed for traffic management in Chennai city.

* An exclusive forensic wing would be created at the state forensic headquarters to examine the evidence collected in crimes against women and Pocso cases.