BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to maintain effective and seamless communication during the General Elections, Odisha Police will provide satellite handsets to security personnel where very high frequency (VHF) and terrestrial mobile services are not available.
DGP Dr RP Sharma has asked the SPs of left wing extremism (LWE)-affected districts to place their requirement of satellite handsets before ADG (Operations) RP Koche. Traditional mobile networks cover about 25 to 30 km around the towers and can transmit signals to phones placed equal to or below the height of the tower. Odisha Police uses VHF and manpack transceivers for communication, but satellite phones will be provided to security personnel deployed at Naxal-affected areas of Gajapati, Malkangiri, Nuapada, Kalahandi and other districts where VHF facility is not accessible during the elections. While some SPs have requested for 25 handsets, others have demanded about 20 devices.
“Odisha Police has adequate satellite handsets and if there is an additional requirement, we will request the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority to provide more devices,” said the DGP.
Satellite handsets will also be provided to patrolling vans and flying squads where VHF facility is not accessible and mobile phone connectivity is poor. Odisha Police has about 100 satellite phones, sources said. The DGP has also asked the SPs of LWE-hit districts to place their requirement of helicopters before the ADG (Operations). The Ministry of Home Affairs has accepted Odisha Police’s request to provide choppers for smooth passage of the polls.