The voice of the public will provide the Gujarat police with information on suspicious movement in the state, under a vigilance programme which will be launched with the assistance of alumni of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A).
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) will, by August, put into effect Operation Savdhan, a unique initiative intended to counter terrorism with the help of volunteers from the general public. Talking to the media on Saturday, ATS chief Ajay Tomar said that the police will train around 2,000 volunteers, from children of age 10 to senior citizens, from Ahmedabad. For this purpose, the ATS will receive technical support from Global Care Organisation, a group formed by graduates of IIM-A.
“We will provide technical support to train the volunteers, motivate them and keep them going,” said Srijanpal Singh, a member of Global Care Organisation. Customised training will be imparted to the volunteers under the programme.
“The information received from different sources has to reach a single point, where it can be scrutinised, and the police can take rapid action based on such tip-offs,” Singh said.
The primary objective of Operation Savdhan will be to gather and process as much information as possible. “The police will offer rewards to motivate the youngsters, who will also be issued unique identity cards,” Tomar said on Saturday. The volunteers thus trained will act as the additional eyes and ears of police. “They will be trained to identify suspicious movement as well as how to observe even the most minute detail that can help the police nab suspects,” he added. Volunteers for Operation Savdhan will initially be recruited from colleges and schools in Ahmedabad. After their training, they will be given unique t-shirts and caps, in addition to the identity cards.
The selection and training process will begin in August. The ATS hopes to recruit the 2,000 volunteers by October.
