Chief Minister Jayalalithaa told the Assembly on Tuesday that the government would procure 100 advanced life support ambulances for providing immediate medical assistance to accident victims.
Informing that 16,175 persons died in 15,072 fatal road accidents reported in 2012, she said stationing ambulances on highways would help in reaching out to accident victims in short time and shifting them to nearby hospitals. The ‘golden hour’ played a crucial role in the management of road accidents.
Ms. Jayalalithaa said Emergency Accident Relief Centres were introduced in 2002 to provide first aid and move accident victims to hospitals. In 2002-04, as many as 100 EARCs were established in different parts of the State, of which only 38 were functioning now. Steps would be taken to operationalise the remaining 62 centres.
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In a move that is expected to overcome manpower constraints in the Police, Prison and Fire and Rescue Services departments, the Chief Minister announced that recruitment through the Uniformed Services Recruitment Board (USRB) would become an annual feature.
The USRB would get details of vacancies in these departments and plan recruitment each year. In 2013, it had been planned to recruit 17,138 constables, 1,091 Sub-Inspectors, 1,005 fire fighters and 292 prison warders.
On the coastal security front, Ms. Jayalalithaa said 30 new Marine Police Stations would be established in the current year at a cost of Rs. 21.36 crore. As part of the ongoing modernization programme, Closed Circuit Television network would be installed in 251 police stations across the State.
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The initiative is not only to record the happenings on the police station premises but also to bring about transparency in administration.
The government would invest Rs. 20 crore to establish solar powered units to facilitate uninterrupted power supply to 500 police stations.
Health fund
Ms. Jayalalithaa announced that the government grant to the Tamil Nadu Police Health Fund would be increased to Rs. 2 crore each year. This would help police personnel to claim enhanced reimbursement towards cost of medical treatment incurred for self and family members.
Risk allowance for police personnel from the rank of Constable to Inspector was increased from Rs. 300 per month to Rs. 400. For the first time, contingency funds were earmarked to police stations in Tamil Nadu. Small, medium and large police stations would get Rs. 3,000, Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 7,000 per month as contingency fund to meet miscellaneous expenses.
Taking a serious view of stealing of babies, the State government has decided that suspects involved in child lifting will be detained under the Goondas Act. The initiative comes in the backdrop of a few instances of child lifting in government hospitals.
The Chief Minister announced the establishment of a ‘University for Police and Internal Security’. The objective was to showcase Tamil Nadu police, which was ahead of others in effective policing, welfare and modernization. The university would come up near Chennai and offer higher education courses on the State police and security-related issues. The feeding charges for police personnel and sniffer/tracker dogs were enhanced. The government would give a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh to recipients of President’s Police Medal for Gallantry.
Ms. Jayalalithaa said 10,500 youth would be inducted into the Tamil Nadu Special Police Youth Brigade. Thirty Deputy Superintendents of Police would be recruited to strengthen police management. Among the welfare measures were construction of 4,800 quarters for police personnel and extension of Closed User Group (CUG) facility to constables, head constables and their family members. A new building would be constructed at a cost of Rs. 10 crore in Alandur for the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption.