April 5: The government is considering a plan to split Baguiati police station and upgrade an outpost in the airport area into a police station for better policing.

A detailed plan, including the number of cops and vehicles required and an estimated cost, has been submitted to the home department.

A Nabanna official said the home department had gone through the details and was awaiting the finance department's clearance for the work to begin.

The idea behind setting up East Baguiati and West Baguiati police stations is to intensify policing on the city's northeastern fringe off VIP Road, the official said. The area has seen a rapid rise in population as well as crime.

At present, a part of Rajarhat, including Chinar Park and adjoining areas, falls within the Baguiati police station's jurisdiction.

Also, six big shopping complexes, 13 government and private schools and a string of bars and restaurants are in its area.

The police station has to deal with various crimes, including syndicate fights and turf war between politicians, an officer of the Bidhannagar commissionerate said.

Last February, Sanjoy Roy, known to be close to agriculture minister Purnendu Bose, was shot dead in Baguiati's Jagatpur. Cops had said he was a victim of syndicate rivalry.

This February, a sub-inspector of Baguiati police station was suspended over suspected links with a promoter who was behind the demolition of portions of a school.

"Once divided into East and West police stations, each would cover around 6.5sq km," a home department official said.

"It would be fit for intensive policing on the lines of urban policing by any police commissionerate."

The airport area has two police stations - the NSCBI Airport police station is in charge of the area in the airport vicinity while the Airport police station covers Kaikhali, Arjunpur and Mongal Ganthi.

The Airport police station has an outpost in Narayanpur. The plan is to change it into a police station for improved policing in the area that often sees Bangladeshi criminals taking shelter.

"The cost of setting up a police station complete with manpower and logistics will be around Rs 4 crore," the home department official said.

"The finance department is working on the proposal and it should be cleared any time now," he said.

The commissionerate now has 12 police stations. Once the plan is approved, the number will go up to 14, ensuring faster police response in the commissionerate's jurisdiction (around 148.77sq km).