Policemen check out their new riot equipment. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, Oct. 31: Jharkhand Police have acquired 368 sets of modern riot control equipment from the Union home ministry.

Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), New Delhi, the acquisition of the equipment is part of the ongoing modernisation programme of the Jharkhand Police.

A demonstration of the gear was today conducted at the state armoury in the presence of director-general of police (DGP) Shivaji Mahan Cairae.

Additional director-general (ADG), modernisation, Niyaz Ahmed, who was also present, said the riot gear comprises of fire-resistant helmets, sticks made of polycarbonade, body protector suits, shields and skin and arm-guards.

The shields, fortified with a mixture of polycarbonade and polythyrene, can withstand heavy brickbatting and flying splinters, Ahmed said.

Each set costs Rs 5,185 and apart from the Ranchi district, the gear will be distributed to the police personnel of Dhanbad, Dumka, Hazaribagh, Giridih and other districts. The police also have plans to acquire 1,000 more such equipment in future, Ahmed added.

?The gears will be sent to riot-prone districts,? said Ahmed.

DGP Shivaji Mahan Cairae looked visibly pleased with the acquisition and said the gears will aid police personnel in fighting rioters.

ADG modernisation, Niyaz Ahmed on the other hand, said the earlier gear ? which mainly consisted of a cane shield and a wooden stick ? was not enough to keep rioters at bay.

?The earlier did not fully protect police from bricks and splinters. The body shield was earlier made of cotton while the modern one is fire-resistant. In future, we also have plans to acquire bullet-proof helmets and jackets,? said Ahmed.

A riot-control policeman said, ?The new gear will benefit us in many ways. First, the earlier gear comprising canes was heavier and we had difficulty lugging it around. The present modern gear is light. Second, the earlier shields made of cane had gaps, which many a times did not protect police from splinters. The new gear provides full protection.?