COIMBATORE: The Kattoor Police Station in Gandhipuram will soon be shifted to make way for the ambitious Periyar Grand Library project, stated Coimbatore City Police Commissioner on Monday.
The existing building will be fully demolished, and the police station will operate temporarily from a location near the Thiruvalluvar (TNSETC) Bus Stand in Gandhipuram until a new permanent facility is ready.
The new police station will be built on 75 cents near the Prison Department's fuel station at an estimated cost of Rs 30 crore. The proposal for the project has already been submitted to the State Government.
The upcoming building will be designed as a comprehensive police facility, housing the offices of law and order, crime, traffic, all-women police, and the Assistant Commissioner of Police under one roof. The relocation process is expected to be completed by the end of this month, Commissioner A Saravana Sundar said.
The Commissioner also revealed that Coimbatore currently has around 2,700 sanctioned police posts, of which 240 remain vacant. A proposal has been forwarded to the higher authorities of the Tamil Nadu Police Department to fill these vacancies at the earliest.
Meanwhile, security preparations for the upcoming Vinayagar Chaturthi festival are already underway. Last year, 712 Vinayagar idols were installed across the city, and the same number has been permitted this year as well.
No additional permissions will be granted for new installation points. Areas that witnessed law and order issues during the previous celebrations, particularly due to incidents involving fireworks, have been identified, and security will be intensified in those localities this year.
The Commissioner assured that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure the Vinayagar Chaturthi processions are carried out peacefully and without disruption.