MiD DAY has accessed approved designs of the new Delhi police headquarters to come up near Parliament Street
MiD DAY has accessed approved designs of the new Delhi police headquarters to come up near Parliament Street
At first sight it appears to be the blueprint of a high-end mall or hotel. This is actually the design of the Delhi police's new headquarters (PHQ) to be developed near Parliament Street. The archetype of the twin-tower building has finally been approved by senior officials. The structure will be equipped with all modern facilities.u00a0u00a0
Theu00a0 Delhi police is currently working out of a part of the PWD building on ITO. Sources say that the new headquarters would be a big improvement on the existing one.
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| New Heights:u00a0 The approved design of the new police headquarters. |
"It will have a helipad. All offices of Delhi police like Special Branch, Crime Record office, Vigilance Branch will be shifted to the new PHQ. So far Delhi police doesn't have its own helipad and other offices are spread across different areas in the city," said a senior police official.
According to the officer the police will get their new headquarters by 2015. Tenders have already been issued though the contract has not been given to any company so far.
The police have chosen a land area of 8.02 acre near Parliament Street in New Delhi district where the structure will come up.
"Delhi police is the country's premier police force and we want to have modern infrastructure and efficient workplace for its officials. We have planned that the new PHQ will be fully equipped for hi-tech operations," said a senior police official on the condition of anonymity.
The property currently houses the Parliament Street police station, DCP office (New Delhi) and some barracks of police officials.
The official said that Yudhvir Singh Dadwal, the former Delhi police commissioner, had planned that first of the two towers should be given out on rent to a private company till the second is not built.
"Dadwal had planned that if the police will get some money it will help the department build the second tower. But later he cancelled this plan because of security reasons," the source added.
The official said that an architect had created three designs for the project out of which one has been finalised.
80,000Approximate no. of Delhi police personnel
Reformsu00a0onu00a0 anvilA bill to effect comprehensive reforms in Delhi Police is expected to be placed in the Budget Session of Parliament which will also set the tone for changes in the internal setupu00a0-- including recruitment and modernisationu00a0-- of police forces across the country.
Home Secretary Gopal K Pillai recently said police reforms in the country will gather momentum with the introduction of the "Draft Delhi Police Bill, 2010" in Parliament which has been prepared after consultation with various stakeholders.
"We hope to correct this (the pace of police reforms) by bringing about a model Delhi Police (bill) which we hope could be a model for all states to follow. Since Delhi has not followed it and in one sense the Ministry of Home Affairs has not given leadership to this, I think many states do not have a model to follow. The Delhi Police (Draft) Bill is currently on the website of the Ministry (of Home Affairs)," Pillai said.
