Four of 56 police stations of Dhanbad will soon turn "smart" with improved facilities for both visitors and on-duty personnel in addition to separate record and communication rooms equipped with state-of-the-art equipment.
The police stations that will be upgraded as per Prime Minister Narendra Modi's SMART plan are Dhanbad Sadar, Dhanbad Mahila Thana, Rajganj and Katras.
These are among 100 police stations across Jharkhand that have been chosen for upgrades to provide SMART policing, i.e, "Sensitive and Strict, Modern with Mobility, Alert and Accountable, Reliable and Responsive and Trained and Techno Savvy".
A reception counter is already in place at Dhanbad sadar police station on the instructions of coal belt DIG Shambhu Thakur, while work to build one at Dhanbad mahila police station is already on.
Officers to man the counters, however, would be deputed within a week.
Among the other facilities on the anvil are visitors' waiting area, washrooms and drinking water arrangements.
Policemen on duty will also have access to a better working environment at police stations with natural light and ventilation, restrooms, with a separate room for lady personnel, CCTV cameras to monitor movement of people, a records room and a communication room equipped with wireless computers.
There will also be an automated kiosk for filing complaints at all the four chosen police stations of the coal capital.
Coal belt DIG Thakur, who has been conducting several inspections at all the four police stations, said, "A lot of other facilities are to be developed as per the smart police station concept, but funds are yet to arrive. So, we are planning to set up the reception counter and CCTV cameras using our own funds."
Dhanbad SP Rakesh Bansal said that although four police stations of Dhanbad had been selected for upgrades in phase I, gradually the number of smart police stations would increase.
"All facilities, like development of communication room equipped with wireless computers, will depend on the arrival of funds," he cautioned.
