KOLKATA: In a major move aimed at modernizing its law enforcement machinery, the West Bengal government has initiated a comprehensive upgrade of the Kolkata Police. The city’s police headquarters, Lalbazar, has constituted a high-level committee to evaluate the force’s current riot-control gear and non-lethal weaponry, with the explicit goal of bringing it on par with the equipment standards of the Delhi Police and central paramilitary forces. Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nand issued the directive to form the five-member assessment team. The panel is being headed by IPS officer Nilanjan Biswas, Joint Commissioner of Police (Organization).
15-Day Deadline for Assessment
The newly formed committee has been tasked with assessing the city's current law-and-order preparedness and evaluating how effectively the force can counter street violence, protests, and public unrest. The panel is operating under a strict timeline and must submit a detailed status report to the Police Commissioner within 15 days. According to the official directive issued, the committee will conduct a thorough inventory check across all police divisions to audit the stock and condition of essential tactical gear. This audit includes:Protective body armor and helmets, Fiber batons (lathis) and riot shields, Non-lethal weapons and rubber bullets, Tear gas shells and launching equipment, Water cannons and their deployment availabiliy.
The overarching objective of this initiative is to eliminate any operational deficiencies in handling dynamic law-and-order situations. Lalbazar officials noted that central agencies like the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Delhi Police regularly utilize highly advanced tactical armor and state-of-the-art non-lethal crowd-control tools. By comparing Kolkata's current inventory with these national standards, the state government intends to restructure procurement pipelines and supply local personnel with modernized, high-grade safety gear and upgraded non-lethal tactical options. The committee’s upcoming report will serve as the foundational blueprint for the structural modernization and re-equipping of the Kolkata Police force.
