West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari launched the Emergency Response Support System, or ERSS-112, in Kolkata on Saturday with 900 vehicles and set a target of sharply reducing the state police’s average emergency response time, which he put at around 90 minutes.
The rollout, held at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground, included 450 four-wheelers and 450 motorcycles. Adhikari said the new vehicles were intended to strengthen the police response network across the state and improve the speed at which personnel reach emergency locations.
Comparing the state police with Kolkata Police, the chief minister said the city force responded to emergencies within 10 to 15 minutes because it had more personnel and vehicles. He cited response times of six to 10 minutes in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, and asked police officials why Bengal could not achieve a similar level of performance.
Adhikari said the current deployment was only the beginning of the programme. His government plans to provide four motorcycles and four cars to every police station in West Bengal within a year, he said. The state cabinet has also approved the recruitment of 1,500 drivers to operate the vehicles.
The planned expansion will require police stations to manage additional vehicles, personnel and dispatch coordination. The chief minister called for closer cooperation among the police, civil defence and disaster management authorities so that emergency responses could be handled more effectively.
The announcement also brought attention to the condition of police station buildings and their preparedness for emergencies. Adhikari said several stations lacked basic facilities and proper maintenance. Recalling visits to the Watgunge and Ekbalpore police stations in Kolkata, he said the buildings appeared to be nearly a century old and did not have adequate closed-circuit television systems or fire extinguishers.
“All of this has to change,” Adhikari said, while calling for improvements to police station infrastructure. The remarks link the emergency response programme not only to vehicle availability but also to the physical condition and safety systems of the buildings from which police services are delivered.
Adhikari praised Director General of Police Siddhinath Gupta and Indian Police Service officer Javed Shamim for ensuring that recent bypolls to two Assembly seats passed without bloodshed. He also said more than 11,000 constables would be appointed before Durga Puja, describing the recruitment process as transparent under his government.
The chief minister reiterated a zero-tolerance position on drug abuse and attacks on women. He also reaffirmed his commitment to securing justice for the family of the doctor who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The next stated milestones are the recruitment of 1,500 drivers, the appointment of more than 11,000 constables before Durga Puja and the planned provision of four cars and four motorcycles to every police station within a year.
