Patna, March 16: The state police headquarters is on the lookout to acquire land to construct police stations as around 150 of them are functioning from rented premises.

The state has a total of 897 police stations. Ashok Kumar Gupta, the additional director-general (ADG)-cum chairman and managing director of the Bihar Police Building Construction Corporation said: “The superintendent of police (SP) and the district magistrate (DM) where the police is working from rented establishment have been asked to identify land for construction of police buildings.”

Gupta and other senior police officers, including director-general of police (DGP) Neel Mani, were speaking on the occasion of opening of a model police station in Patrakar Nagar area of the state capital here today.

Gupta said: “In past two years the corporation has built 14 model police stations. Out of which five are Grade IV and 30 Grade III police stations.”

He said: “ Work is on for the construction of more than 100 more such stations including 48 police stations in Naxalite areas. Each would cost around Rs 2 crore. Around 70 rural police stations costing Rs 70 lakh each will be built in rural areas.”

He said: “We plan to build 45 more police stations in Naxalite areas.”

Earlier, The Telegraph had reported that the final design of the Naxalite area police station, which included an underground tunnel connecting to the main police station building and the barrack, apart from towers on the four sides of the premises had been finalised.

A senior officer said presently tenders for construction of police buildings and residential complexes have already been floated.

Gupta said: “Around 300 residential complexes meant for the cops have been handed over to the state government and 500 establishments are under construction.”

The DGP said the under construction police academy in Rajgir will have a state-of-the-art training facility to house personnel from 19 police lines and 9-BMP battalions.

A senior officer said an academy worth Rs 205 crore is under construction in Rajgir. The academy will have a training facility and house jawans from police lines of 19 districts and 9-BMP battalions.

The DGP said the planned budget of the police rested at Rs 500 crore and much of it was being spent at improving the infrastructure of the police force.

Another senior officer said in the next five years we would recruit around 7,000 more jawans in the police force.