A police patrol boat. Telegraph picture

Patna, May 19: The maiden river patrolling police station (RPPS) in the state will be operational from tomorrow. Chief minister Nitish Kumar will inaugurate it.

The first RPPS of the state would be at Maujipur village under Fatuha police station in Patna rural area. Situated on the banks of the Ganges, the RPPS has been built at a cost of Rs 56 lakh in just two months.

Sources in the state police headquarters said the chief minister would also inaugurate 131 police buildings, including model police stations and newly constructed police stations the same day.

The state government identified 18 places on the banks of important rivers for setting up RPPS in Bihar but initially it would start functioning at five places covering long stretch of the Ganges, Kosi and Gandak rivers. Sources said the RPPSs would be set up at Patna rural (Fatuha), Naugachhia, Bagaha, Supaul and Darbhanga.

The RPPSs, to be set up either on specialised motorboats or country boats, would ply on the waves throughout their jurisdiction, anchor in diaras or riverbanks as per the need and coordinate with their police outposts established on important ghats, sources said. Smuggling and illegal ferrying of goods and passengers, boat capsize, drowning of individuals or management of festivals on the riverbanks would come under the purview of the RPPS, they said, adding that each RPPS would have 45 armed police personnel, including sub-inspectors, assistant sub-inspectors, constables and other technical employees like diver, wireless operator and cleaner.