Elite commandos forced to live, train on borrowed land

MUMBAI: For a state that faces terror attacks with frighteningly regularity, Maharashtra surely has a short memory. Amid great fanfare, the government formed a commando force called Force One in 2009 to respond to 26/11-like assaults. But two years on, the elite force continues to function on borrowed land at Kalina while its headquarters at Goregaon awaits construction.
In November 2009, the then chief minister, Ashok Chavan, performed a 'bhoomi pujan' at Goregaon, where Force One's base was to come up over a 98.6-acre plot in Aarey Colony. The ceremony was attended by senior IPS officers, bureaucrats and representatives of National Security Guards. At the bhoomi pujan, the government promised to develop world-class training facilities for Force One commandos.
The facilities are yet to see the light of day. The project first ran into trouble with the local tribes in Aarey Colony, who refused to give up their 150 houses for the purpose of the base. Almost simultaneously, the administration faced difficulties in procuring sophisticated weapons and high-quality bulletproof jackets. The hurdles were cleared only after the media highlighted them.
Eventually, at a later point, the government sanctioned funds to develop the training facilities. But then red tape became a problem. Sluggishly, the state invited separate tenders for various constructions on the Goregaon plot.
"The tendering process of the boundary wall construction has been cleared and the work has started," said a senior Force One officer. "The process for the office building's construction is also complete and soon the authorities will pick the right bidder."
Meanwhile, as the wait for their headquarters gets long, Force One commandos continue to function out of the Mumbai police's proposed second headquarters at Kalina, where they were allotted temporary space. The commandos use the city police's parade ground for their training.
Some Force One officials said their unit is completely equipped for their task of counter-terrorism, but the lack of infrastructure is affecting their moral and trainings.
An official in the force added that their only concern at present is to get the required infrastructure and to provide adequate training facilities to their commandos. He, however, declined to pinpoint the department responsible for the delay.