Private parties may redevelop old police stations

After building roads and bridges on build-operate-transfer (BoT) basis where private parties bid for government works, the state is now considering a similar model for redeveloping police stations across the state.

After building roads and bridges on build-operate-transfer (BoT) basis where private parties bid for government works, the state is now considering a similar model for redeveloping police stations across the state. The home department is expected to soon bring up a proposal to this effect.

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The model will begin from Rahata, a prosperous town in Ahmednagar district, where an old police station will be redeveloped with the participation of a private party that will get rights to use some space commercially.

The move is expected to help the home department, which does not get much funding to repair or build police stations or housing for the staff. Sources in the home department said the pilot project would come up for discussion at the cabinet level very soon.

The strength of the Maharashtra police is over 2 lakh, working from over a thousand police stations.

Minister of state for home Satej Patil confirmed the development. "The proposal is certainly under consideration. We will examine it thoroughly," he told Hindustan Times. When asked whether the plan could be implemented in Mumbai, Patil said it is too premature to say anything.

An officer in the home department, requesting anonymity, said: "The idea stemmed from a successful model implemented at Jamner town in Jalgaon district where schools and dilapidated government buildings of the panchayat samiti were redeveloped to create a swanky complex."

Jamner legislator Girish Mahajan, a BJP member who initiated the first-ever such plan, told HT that the complex has more than 400 shops leased by the local administration. The complex houses spacious pachayat samiti offices and a two-storey school.

"The developer, who won the bid to build the complex in a competitive tendering process, has been given the rights to gain commercially from the project. It's a win-win position for both the government and the private partner," said Mahajan.