New MBVV commissionerate finally gets office space

The Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has decided to hand over a two-storey building in Ram Nagar to house the newly-formed Mira-Bhayander Vasai Virar

The Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has decided to hand over a two-storey building in Ram Nagar to house the newly-formed Mira-Bhayander Vasai Virar (MBVV) police commissionerate.

HT Image

“We will be charging around ₹27 lakh annual rent to the state home department for the new commissioner’s office. We will clear the building within a fortnight,” said Jyotsna Hasnale, mayor, MBMC.

The government resolution (GR) for the formation of the new police commissionerate was passed in September 2019 but there was a bureaucratic delay for over six months which got extended due to the Covid pandemic. The Mira Road location was ideal because of its proximity to Thane and Palghar districts. The state home department has allocated a budget of ₹174 crore for the new MBVV commissionerate.

Till now, the Mira-Bhayandar stretch fell under the Thane (Rural) police district and Vasai-Virar under Palghar police district.

Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Sadanand Date was appointed commissioner of the newly-formed MBVV commissionerate. Date has been working without a posting after he returned to the state after he was on central deputation in February.

During the November 2008 Mumbai terror attack, Date had fired at terrorist Ajmal Kasab and his aide. The officer also was injured in the exchange of gunfire and was later awarded the President’s Police Medal for bravery. He was instrumental in setting up the Maharashtra anti-terrorist squad and had worked as inspector-general (IG) and additional director general (ADG) of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) before becoming the joint secretary in the state law and justice department. He also served as a deputy commissioner of police (DCP), zone 8 in Mumbai, and later was appointed as the additional commissioner by the Centre.

Alongside Date, the state government had sanctioned 4,708 posts for the new MBVV commissionerate. A total of 1,006 posts from Thane (Rural), 1,165 from Palghar and 317 from other areas will be transferred to the new set-up, said a police source. An additional 2,200 posts will be added for the region. Recruitment will be done in two phases and the notifications for the first phase have already been issued.

Seven new police stations will also be created alongside the current 13 which are part of Mira-Bhayander and Vasai-Virar. Kashigaon will be bifurcated from Kashimira, while Golden Nest will be separated from Navghar and Mira Road police stations.

There will be new police stations at Pelhar, Achole, Mandavi, Bolinj and Naigaon. In July 2019, the state cabinet had approved ₹3.82 crore for the construction of the new police stations.