Hyderabad, July 21: The State government on Wednesday issued orders reorganizing “OCTOPUS”, an elite police force, into Specialized Commando Force and assigned Intelligence related work on terrorists and their activities to Counter Intelligence Cell.
On the proposal submitted by the Director General of Police, the State government had created Organisation for Counter Terrorist Operations (OCTOPUS) and declaring the OCTOPUS chief as Head of Department for purpose of exercising financial powers.
The Director General of Police, after reviewing the working of OCTOPUS and with a view to streamline it, submitted a fresh proposal to reorganize OCTOPUS as per which, it was felt appropriate to merge the Intelligence Related Group of OCTOPUS with the existing Counter Intelligence Cell (CI Cell) of Intelligence Department under the control of Chief of Intelligence (ADGP/IGP), which was also carrying out the same Intelligence related work, by reorganizing the OCTOPUS, limiting its role to commando operations. The DGP has proposed distribution of the sanctioned manpower accordingly with certain adjustments and within the earlier approved budgetary estimates.
Accordingly, the government has agreed with the proposal of the DGP to reorganize OCTOPUS by merging the Intelligence Related Group of OCTOPUS with the existing Counter Intelligence Cell (CI Cell) and by vesting OCTOPUS with the main mission of combating terrorism by commando operations. Consequently, the revised responsibilities, organization structure, additional manpower allocations and so on to OCTOPUS and Counter Intelligence Cell (CI Cell).
The OCTOPUS will have its command and control center at Headquarters, Operations Wing, Training Wing and Administration Wing. The Operation Wing will consist of 10 teams, including four stationed at Headquarters and six stationed in three different locations in the State as per needs and decided by the Director General of Police from time to time at the rate of two teams at each location.
Each team, comprising an Assault Team and a Bomb Disposal squad (BD), will have a strength of one deputy superintendent of police, two Inspectors, nine sub-inspectors, nine Head Constables, 27 police constables and five PC drivers (total strength of 53). The total manpower for the deployment of 10 operational teams will be 530 (10 DSPs, 20-Inspectors, 90 SIs, 90 HCs, 270 PCs, 50 PC drivers. At each location outside the Headquarters (Hyderabad), support staff is required for the operational teams. The strength of supporting staff at locations other than Hyderabad is 25 (1 SI, 5 HCs, 14 PCs, 5 PC drivers). The allotted manpower of these teams, includes training reserve, will meet the training demand without lowering the operational capability of the teams.
Every year, fresh induction of 20 per cent of the total strength of Octopus will be carried out to replace those completing their normal tenure of five years. Additionally two teams with a strength of 2 DSPs,4 Inspectors, 18 SIs, 18 HCs, 54 PCs and 10 PC drivers (total 106) are allotted as training reserve.
The initial training for Octopus personnel shall be on Explosives, Un-Armed Combat, rock climbing, Firing, Kill Hut, Room Intervention, Tactics, Obstacles, Communication, Computers, Map reading etc. Thereafter, regular periodical training shall be imparted continuously to keep the men fighting fit. In view of the necessity to impart special skills to the new inductees and upgrade the skills of the men on a continuous basis, it is essential to establish a strong Training Wing.
The Training Wing shall be established at Headquarters, Hyderabad. In addition, the head of OCTOPUS is permitted to engage experts in specialized skills on contract basis from among the ex-NSG, Para Commandos and Special Frontier Forces etc. in the ranks of DIG/SP-1, Inspectors/SIs-5 and HCs-5.
The Octopus will have a separate uniform and special weapon as per needs of the force as decided from time to time. Specialized uniforms will be contracted for the use of the Assault Teams. The CI Cell has Sanctioned strength of 326 comprising 297 Police Executive and 29 Ministerial Staff.
Field Intelligence Wing will deploys field Intelligence units to collect information on targeted areas and target and suspects. The information collected by them is collated and analyzed for operational purposes. These four teams move incognito for collecting Intelligence. This will be located in all the 4 Commissionerates and District / Range Headquarters, apart from one Headquarters Unit for inter-state Intelligence collection and an Analysis and coordination Unit, also located at Headquarters. The Strength of Police Executive for this wing including the strength in Districts shall be 307 (2 Addl. SsP, 3 DSsP, 28 Inspectors, 33 SIs, 84 HCs & 118 PCs and 39 PC Drivers).
Technical Intelligence Wing shall consist of monitoring cell (Communication), a Cyber Forensic Lab and an Analysis Wing, all located in Headquarters. With the help of technical gadgets, this cell shall collect intelligence and pass on to the concerned sub-units. The Strength of Police Executive for this wing is 74 (1 DSP, 4 Inspectors, 5 SIs, 14 HCs, 43 PCs and 7 PC Drivers).
Surveillance Wing is responsible for deploying various teams for observing and tracking marked targets, over a period of a time. As surveillance is a highly skilled job and staff is posted on this duty after a specialized training, this wing shall have its presence in all the 4 Commissionerates, 9 Range Hqrs, apart from an analysis and coordination unit at Head Office. The Strength of Police Executive for this wing is 222 (2 DSPs, 2 Inspectors, 28 SIs, 51 HCs, 133 PCs and 6 PC Drivers).
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