The Organization For Counter Terrorist Operations has been vested with the mission of combating terrorism by commando operations.
The state government on Wednesday issued orders reorganizing "Octopus", an elite police force, into a Specialized Commando Force, and assigned work related to intelligence on terrorists and their activities, to the Counter Intelligence Cell.
On the proposal submitted by the Director General of Police, the state government had created the Organization For Counter Terrorist Operations (Octopus), and was declaring the Octopus chief as Head Of Department for the purpose of exercising financial powers.
The DGP has proposed a distribution of the sanctioned manpower accordingly with certain adjustments, and within the earlier approved budgetary estimates.
Accordingly, the government has agreed with the DGP's proposal 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.
The Octopus will have its command and control center at Headquarters, Operations Wing, Training Wing and Administration Wing.
The Operations Wing will consist of 10 teams, including 4 stationed at the headquarters and 6 stationed in 3 different locations in the state as per needs and as decided by the DGP; at the rate of 2 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, 2 inspectors, 9 sub-inspectors, 9 head constables, 27 police constables and 5 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, including training reserve, will meet the training demand without lowering the operational capability of the teams.
Every year, fresh induction of 20% of the total strength of Octopus will be carried out, in order to replace those completing their normal tenure of 5 years. Additionally, 2 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 and Map Reading, among other courses.
Thereafter, regular periodical training shall be imparted continuously to keep the men fighting fit. The Training Wing shall be established at the headquarters, Hyderabad. In addition, the head of Octopus is permitted to engage experts in specialized skills on a contract basis from among the ex-NSG, Para Commandos and Special Frontier Forces, in the ranks of DIG/SP-1, Inspectors/SIs-5 and HCs-5.
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 a strength of 326, comprising 297 Police Executives and 29 Ministerial Staff.
The Field Intelligence Wing will deploy units to collect information on targeted areas and suspects. The information collected by them will be collated and analyzed for operational purposes. These 4 teams will 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 will be 307 (2 Addl. SPs, 3 DSPs, 28 inspectors, 33 SIs, 84 HCs & 118 PCs and 39 PC drivers).
THe Technical Intelligence Wing shall consist of a monitoring cell (communication), a cyber forensic lab and an analysis wing, all located at the headquarters. With the help of technical gadgets, this cell will collect intelligence and pass it 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).
THe Surveillance Wing is responsible for deploying various teams for observing and tracking marked targets, over a period of a time. This wing will have its presence in all the 4 commissionerates and 9 range headquarters, 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).
Courtesy: INN