Questions raised over police tender for Force One system
The Mumbai tender also calls for 1.8-watt handsets. But the global standard as defined by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute is 1 watt. Sources said the tender's requirement could favour certain vendors.
The Maharashtra police's tender to procure a secure communications system for Force One, the elite counter-terrorism unit, has serious lacunae, including a lack of basic understanding of the technology, according to some sources in the security industry.
Critics said the problems range from basic appreciation of Terrestrial Trunked Radio (Tetra) technology to lack of vision for the future. In light of the drawbacks, some have suggested that the police invite experts to scrutinize and improve the entire procurement process. However, when asked about the issues raised by a few leading players in the field, additional director-general of police K L Bishnoi said, "The tender has been technically vetted. I am projecting a tender keeping in mind my requirements. It is for me to decide where and how I want to deploy the network." About the queries raised by some of the companies participating in the process, Bishnoi said, "We have already replied to their clarifications."
The tender was issued a few weeks ago. One aspect is that the state police want the base station of the system to be mobile, which means it should be fixed in a vehicle and also be able to be taken out. But sources pointed out that the base stations, along with their batteries, are bulky and heavy, and carrying them around was not a feasible option. In the rest of the world, elite special forces have base stations mounted on a vehicle, which is then strategically parked near a theatre of operation.
The Mumbai tender also calls for 1.8-watt handsets. But the global standard as defined by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute is 1 watt. Sources said the tender's requirement could favour certain vendors.
Experts said the tender also does not speak of the need for inter-operability or future requirements. Given the need for Force One to operate alongside the National Security Guard and intelligence agencies, and probably also the military and others, inter-operability is unavoidable. The tender specifies just one carrier in the base station and does not cater to expandability.
The tender also does not appear to conform to the Union home ministry's draft for national Tetra standards. While the ministry calls for upgradability for TEDS ( Tetra Enhanced Data Service), the Maharashtra tender does not provide for this. The tender also says there is no need for a fallback mode, while experts said the guiding principle of Tetra networks is that they should be operational at all times and under all circumstances. Bishnoi said, "If there is any ambiguity about technical issues, then they (vendors) can seek clarifications from us. But where to use it, how to use it and who all will use it is my responsibility and my decision."
Source: Times of India