The State Home Department has approved Rs286.22 crore in 2014-15 for construction of various offices and residential quarters besides other infrastructural development of police establishments. Moreover, Rs150 crore has been approved for construction and renovation of buildings of 75 police stations in insurgency-infested districts of the State. Construction of three buildings have already been completed and handed over to the Police Department. Six other buildings are nearing completion, while construction of remaining 66 buildings is in process, officials stated.
For infrastructural development in Police Department, the Home Department has approved Rs22 crores for construction of Armoury and magazine building, purchase of weaponry, telecommunication and security equipments. An amount of Rs7.91 crore have been approved for offices and administrative buildings of various battalions. This includes Second Battalion based in Sakri (Bilaspur), Seventh Battalion based in Bhilai, 17th Battalion based in Kabeerdham and 18th Battalion based in Manendragarh.
The Department has approved Rs1.98 crore for each battalion. An amount of Rs1.75 crore have been approved for construction of multi-storey barracks in Fourth Battalion based at Mana. Other than offices and administrative buildings, the Home Department is also paying attention on facilitation of residential quarters for officials-employees. Police Department has approved Rs40.16 crore for construction of residential buildings for officials and employees (including 200 non-gazetted and 304 constables) posted in various Battalions, based at Raipur, Koriya, Dhamtari, Janjgir-Champa, Mahasamund and Raigarh. Besides, Rs62.50 crore have been provisioned in previous fiscal year for construction of residential quarters of 144 non-gazetted and 676 constables in various districts of State.
Moreover, Rs1.72 crore have been approved for construction of Shaheed Vatika in Rajeev Smriti Van of Raipur. State Government has approved Rs10.50 lakh for various administrative residential buildings in Counter Terrorism and Jungle Warfare College, under 13th Finance Commission. It may be recalled that the Chhattisgarh Government is in the process of installing Solar Photo Voltaic Power Plant (SPVPP) of 2 KV capacity each in the police stations and base camps in insurgency infested districts of Bastar region.
The Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA) has already floated tenders for supply of equipment for the solar power plants, officials stated. CREDA had already established solar energy equipment in different police stations and base camps in the insurgency hit Kanker district, officials stated. The equipment installed ensures uninterrupted power supply in the hinterland. The base camps and police stations located in regions like Pakhanjur, Koylibeda, Durgkondal and Antagarh now have solar energy equipment installed in the district.
lighting through solar lamps help police personnel and make it easy to counter the Maoists during an attack. In case of a black out or fault in power supply lines, solar lighting arrangements help in the restive regions. Notably, overall, solar lamps have been distributed among about seven lakh families of 95 development blocks of the State till August 2014, officials said.
The officers informed that about 7 lakh solar lamps have been distributed among 95 out of total 146 development blocks of the State . This includes distribution of 2,48,000 study lamps to students under Chief Minister Solar Study lamp Scheme and distribution of solar task lamps to 4,42,241 families under the Chief Minister Solar Powered lamp Scheme.
This apart, after facing low voltage problems, people of several villages and hamlets now also have solar powered pumps to lift drinking water in the insurgency hit Narayanpur district. The villagers are now using solar pumps to run their drinking water supply system. At least 44 Ashram hostels in the district have been sourcing power from solar energy sources. Similarly the hostels are also getting water supply using the non-conventional energy sources.