Bengaluru, 16 August (H..S): The Karnataka State Police Complaints Authority (KSPCA) has urged the State government to establish a fifth battalion of the Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF) in Kalaburagi to improve security coverage across the Kalyana Karnataka region.

In a letter to the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department, KSPCA member Mohan Kumar Danappa said the proposed battalion would strengthen protection for vital installations while generating employment and supporting balanced regional development.

The KSISF currently has four battalions headquartered in Bengaluru, Shivamogga, Dharwad and Mysuru. Despite being home to several important facilities, Kalyana Karnataka does not have a separate battalion or regional headquarters.

The force is deployed at eight installations in the region: Bidar and Kalaburagi airports, the Kalaburagi Bench of the Karnataka High Court, the central prisons in Kalaburagi and Ballari, Jindal Airport, Ballari Thermal Power Station at Kudatini, and the Tungabhadra Reservoir in Vijayanagara district. More than 600 posts have been sanctioned to provide security at these facilities.

Security audits have also been completed at Hutti Gold Mines, Yermarus Thermal Power Station, Narayanapura Reservoir and Karanja Reservoir. However, KSISF personnel have not been deployed at several of these locations because of manpower shortages, the letter said.

Danappa also raised concerns over the career prospects of more than 400 officers and personnel serving at the eight installations. He said the absence of a proper regional or local cadre for Kalyana Karnataka had reportedly prevented eligible and experienced personnel from receiving promotions.

He proposed that all existing posts attached to the eight installations be transferred to a newly created fifth battalion headquartered in Kalaburagi. Vacant positions could initially remain unfilled and be filled in phases, he suggested.

The proposed unit would provide an administrative base for KSISF operations in the region and enable quicker deployment to facilities requiring specialised security.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman