Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated India’s first National Police Housing Conference in Ahmedabad. Two-day conference is being attended by higher Police officials from across the nation. Inaugurating the conference the Chief Minister said, “Gujarat has attracted attention of the nation in the area of Police housing.”

“While total budget for Police department tends to be lower compare to other departments, the allocation for Police housing remains evey low, almost 2.5% of the total budget for Police department. However perhaps even the people of Gujarat don’t know that in Gujarat, this allocation is as high as about 10%.”

Modi suggested the police headquarters and housing projects for police personnel should go multistoried, looking to the limited availability of land and funds particularly in big cities. Modi said it is the respective state government’s responsibility to provide modern housing facilities to policemen to ensure they could focus on their demanding job and be free from family worries. There is need for adopting innovative planning, architectural design and approach, latest building construction technology, solar system, water harvesting and kitchen garden, keeping in tune with the climate.
In the remote border areas too, he said, Gujarat has taken up the difficult task of constructing houses besides fencings for the security forces. He spoke about other Gujarat Government initiatives such as starting unique Rakshashakti University and Forensic Science University.

The Chief Minister also called for holding a design competition for architects to plan model modern jails with basic facilities with a human face.

The conference is being held under the aegis of Gujarat State Police Housing Corporation in collaboration with the Government of India’s Bureau of Police Research and Development. It is attended by police officers, housing construction agencies and experts. An exhibition on the theme is also being held.

Prominent among those attending the conference include Gujarat’s Minister of State for Home Prafulbhai Patel, Additional Chief Secretary for Home Balwant Singh, Bureau of Police Research and Development Director Manoj Chhabra, Gujarat Police Housing Corporation Chairman P.C. Pandey and Managing Director K. Nityanandan, Director-General of Police Chittaranjan Singh.