Police mull switching over to digital system

SHIMLA: Even as there is no clue about the 20 wireless sets which had gone missing on October 9, the Himachal Police have decided to switch over to a more modern communication system by changing all the analogue wireless sets being used to digital ones.

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 20

Even as there is no clue about the 20 wireless sets which had gone missing on October 9, the Himachal Police have decided to switch over to a more modern communication system by changing all the analogue wireless sets being used to digital ones.

The 20 very high frequency (VHF) sets went missing while being transported from Kullu to Dharamsala in a bus.

Even though their frequency is yet to be changed, the police said there was no imminent threat of any sensitive information being leaked out. Though the police had written to the Directorate of Police Wireless and Communication in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to change the frequency of the wireless sets being used by the Himachal Police, it is yet to be done as the process is lengthy and cumbersome.

“It is true that the frequency of the stolen wireless sets is yet to be changed by the Union Home Ministry but there is no threat as all sensitive and important information is flashed through coded messages which are not comprehensible to anyone,” said Sanjay Kumar, Director General of Police. The wireless sets cannot be used by anyone and as such there is no threat of vital information being leaked out, he added.

The DGP said similar incidents of wireless sets being stolen in the naxal or terrorist-infested areas kept happening every now and then. In such cases also, the Directorate of Police Wireless and Communication changes the frequency of the sets stolen as a precautionary measure.

The incident had led to the police deciding to switch over from the analogue wireless sets to the modern digital ones. “We intend to replace the old wireless sets with digital ones in a phased manner as the number of sets required and presently being used by the police department runs into thousands,” the DGP said. While some states in the country had started the switchover, others were in the process of doing it.

In fact, the police intend to acquire a lot of modern equipments as over Rs 29 crore has been approved by the Centre for modernisation of the force. “Normally, we get Rs 15 crore under modernisation plan but this time we received additional amount and now we have almost Rs 29 crore,” officials said.