Fast-moving vehicles, gadgets for uninterrupted communication and hi-tech surveillance equipment are set to change the face of policing in Calcutta, thanks to a grant from the Centre.

The Rs 18-crore grant is part of a central scheme to provide funds for modernisation of police in metropolitan cities. Calcutta Police received the money last month.

The grant could help the force sort out some long-standing infrastructure problems. According to senior officers, the cops will soon be able to chase down gangs fleeing in high-speed vehicles and stop criminals from carrying out subversive activities.

?An inadequate number of vehicles used to be one of our major problems. Besides, the vehicles we had were in a dilapidated condition. The problem has now been sorted out,? said joint commissioner of police (administration) Kuldiep Singh.

To speed up the movement of the policemen, 105 new cars have been purchased. ?Each police station and traffic guard office has been provided with a Spacio,? added Singh.

A move to set up an uninterrupted communication system has been initiated. ?We have a plan to upgrade our wireless communication system by shifting from Very High Frequency band to Ultra High Frequency band (UHF),? stated Singh.

An officer in the Lalbazar control room explained the advantages of the shift: ?We sometimes get disconnected while exchanging messages with officers patrolling the streets. This happens because of obstructions like flyovers and highrises. Once we start using the UHF band, this problem will disappear.?

The Special Branch has been provided with sophisticated, hand-held metal detectors. A dozen high-quality doorframe metal detectors have also been purchased. ?We will use the metal detectors at programmes attended by VVIPs,? said an officer of the department.

The news of the grant has also prompted some officers to put in requests for laptops to improve their productivity.