Patna, March 10: Chief minister Nitish Kumar today announced a separate headquarters for the police department which would accommodate all offices. At present, the police headquarters is located in the old secretariat.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of a two-day All India Police Housing Conference, Nitish said: “It (the headquarters) will be a grand building where the offices of the police officials will function under one roof. There will also be the provision for a separate control room of the disaster management department in the new headquarters building so that relief could be provided during any natural calamity.”

He added that it was up to the officials concerned to start work on the proposed police headquarters. “It is to be seen how early the project gets started,” he said, adding that under the present dispensation, the responsibility of construction of buildings related to the police department had been entrusted with the Bihar Police Building Construction Corporation (BPBCC). Till 2007, BPBCC was almost a sick organisation.

Nitish, who himself is an engineer, said the two-day session would deliberate on methods to construct eco-friendly buildings to save energy as well as expenditure. A number of engineers, architects and experts from various fields related to construction activities would attend the conference, which coincides with the centenary celebrations of Bihar, he added.

The chief minister said: “During my Vishwas Yatra, I came to know about the poor and unhygienic living conditions of the policemen. The government is serious about their living conditions and things will improve in the days to come.”