The Markatnagar police station (PS) here, which was formed splitting the Bidanasi police station in 2008, would further split to have a second PS at Abhinav Bidanasi for intensifying policing in the crime-prone area.

Abhinav Bidanasi, set up by the Cuttack Development Authority (CDA) as the satellite township of this Millennium City, now has nearly 40,000 households with a combined population of 1.70 lakh, including 20,000 dwellers settling in seven nearby slums.

Highly-placed police sources informed that the new Commissioner of Police of the city is keen to make operational the newly-sanctioned PS so as to streamline the policing system in the city in view of an increase in all forms of major crimes. The new police station of the satellite township, which would come up at Sector 11 of the CDA, would be named as CDA Phase-II police station.

“While the construction of the new police station building is over, the Government has made the requisite sanctions of posts to man the new policing facility,” said Markatnagar police station in-charge officer DP Patra. Apart from an inspector, the new PS would have four sub-inspectors, five assistant sub-inspectors, two havildars and 20 constables, he added.

Having 15 sectors in the township covering an area of 14 square kilometer, it was difficult to police such a vast stretch, which is located in the western limits of the city. “For its strategic location and having a porous border, criminals operating elsewhere use it as a safe haven for hiding,” said a senior police officer of the city.

He also pointed out that the satellite township now has many unoccupied buildings which are being used as hideouts by criminals. Analysing the crime statistics of the township, the police officer said theft, burglary and chain-snatching are the major crimes reported here. But due to a sincere and dedicated night patrolling and community policing system such as Aama Police, the crime situation is improving here, he pointed out.

While the police station here registered a total of 176 cases in the entire year of 2012, it recorded 115 cases by the end of July this year. Similarly, while there were 14 chain-snatching cases in 2012  this year by the end of July, the PS has registered only four cases.