BENGAL REBUILDS ITS EMERGENCY POLICING NETWORK AS SUVENDU DISMISSES DIAL-100 AS A FAILED SYSTEM
October 11, 2026
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday launched the state’s new Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112) at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground, announcing a major overhaul of emergency policing and sharply criticising the previous government for allowing the existing Dial-100 helpline to deteriorate into what he described as a “practically defunct” service.
Adhikari said the new system was intended to improve police responsiveness through additional vehicles, dedicated emergency teams and upgraded communications infrastructure. He announced plans to establish a 20-member emergency response team at each of the state’s 450 police stations, comprising 15 male and five female police personnel, to ensure that complaints receive prompt attention and officers can reach emergency locations faster.
As part of the rollout, the government provided a car and a two-wheeler to each of the 450 police stations. The chief minister also announced plans to add four cars and four motorcycles to the existing fleet at every station next year, expanding the state’s capacity to respond to emergencies across urban and rural areas.
Adhikari criticised the functioning of Dial-100, questioning whether members of the public continued to use the service because they had lost confidence that their calls would be answered. He attributed its shortcomings to inadequate infrastructure, excessive reliance on civic volunteers and the alleged misuse of police personnel under the previous administration.
The chief minister highlighted the gap between emergency response times in different parts of the state. According to figures he cited, the average response time in West Bengal was approximately 90 minutes, compared with 10–15 minutes in Kolkata, where a larger fleet of vehicles allows police to reach incidents more quickly. He pointed to Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, where response times were reported to range between six and 10 minutes, challenging Bengal Police to achieve comparable performance.
He also drew attention to staffing constraints, stating that West Bengal had approximately 105 police personnel per lakh of population. Adhikari argued that officers could not be expected to provide effective policing without adequate manpower, modern equipment, logistical support and upgraded cybercrime infrastructure.
The new 112 service is intended to address some of these weaknesses through a unified emergency number and improvements to the telecommunications system. Senior home department officials said additional voice channels and internet-protocol extensions had been introduced to accommodate more calls and improve the handling of emergency requests.
The chief minister also criticised the condition of police stations across the state. Referring to visits to Watgunge and Ekbalpore police stations in Kolkata, he said some buildings appeared to be nearly a century old and lacked adequate basic facilities, including comprehensive closed-circuit television coverage. He insisted that the government would prioritise better infrastructure and equipment for police personnel.
Adhikari urged officers to prevent a recurrence of incidents that had raised serious questions about public safety, referring to the Abhaya case at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the Kasba Law College incident, the Durgapur IQ City case and an incident in Baruipur. He also warned against attacks on police personnel and said officers would receive greater support and resources during his tenure.
The launch of ERSS-112 marks the beginning of the state government’s effort to rebuild public confidence in emergency policing. The initiative’s effectiveness will ultimately depend on whether calls are answered promptly, response teams are adequately staffed and equipped, and police personnel can consistently reach people in distress without unnecessary delays.
With additional vehicles, dedicated teams and upgraded communications planned for police stations across Bengal, the government has set out an ambitious objective: to replace a widely criticised emergency-response system with a faster and more dependable service for citizens.
