SISF formed to guard dams, IT sector, power plants in state – Home Minister R. Ashok

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Oct 22, 2012: Around 2000 officers have been recruited for the newly formed State Industrial Security Force (SISF) to guard dams, power plants, and IT sector in the state, said Home Minister R. Ashok. He was speaking in Bantwal on Oct 22, Monday after inaugurating the Bantwal and Punjalkatte town police stations, which each cost Rs. 56 lakh.

 

Revealing more details, he said that the Central Intelligence Security Force (CISF) is now guarding dams, IT sector, and power plants, but the SISF will take over soon. The government decided to form the SISF because of increased terrorist threats in the coastal regions. Speaking about the importance of beefing up security along the 300-km coastline, the minister said that seven new police stations have been approved for increased security along the coastal regions, adding that the police force will also be given modern weapons.

Further, he said that each police station will have an intelligence wing, which will focus on interacting with fishermen to collect information regarding intruders. An annual fund of Rs. 30,000 will be set aside for the intelligence wing, he added.

Speaking about the Punjalkatte police station, he said that it has been constructed with the objective of maintaining law and order effectively in the region.

Voicing his views about the rape and murder of 17-year-old Sowjanya, a student of SDM College in Ujire, he said that the government is willing to let the CoD investigate the case although the police have proved beyond doubt that the accused in this case is Santhosh Rao. He said that he will take the advice of Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade, the dharmadhikari of Shri Kshethra Dharmasthala, on this matter.

Stating that the government is now scrutinizing a proposal for a police station in Dharmasthala, he said that action will be soon taken regarding this issue.

Speaking about the Naxal issue, he said that the government had to order a cease fire during combing operations so that Naxals could be given a chance to return to the mainstream. Unfortunately, no Naxal took this opportunity, owing to which the Anti Naxal Force (ANF) will continue its combing operations. He also stated that the number of Naxals in the state has come down.

Among those present were Mangalore Police Commissioner Manish Karbekar, IGP (western range) Prathap Reddy, DG-IGP Lalrokhuma Pachau, MLA Ramanath Rai, Padmanabha Kottari, and others.