UDUDPI (KARNATAKA): The police in Kota of Udupi district responsible for the safety of the residents under their jurisdiction, are forced to from a dilapidated building from several years now. The police station in Kota which used to operate from the private building was shifted to this present building in 1996.
The structure built on a small chunk of land was declared 'not fit for use' last year, but no action was taken in this direction.
Not just the police station, the condition of staff quarters is also no better. There are about 25 staff working from this station which comes under Brahmavara circle in Udupi sub division, but only six of them have been given the accommodation facility. The remaining 19 families of the police are still waiting for their turn, and have no other option, but to stay in rented houses.
''All the staffs had accommodation facilities as the old staff quarters was there. But five years back, the old staff quarters was declared unsafe. Now only six staffs have accommodation facility and others are waiting for the one'' a staff told Express on condition of anonymity.
''There are about 170 weapons which were deposited by the gun license holders during the recent state assembly election, some are yet to be taken by the license holders, but there is no proper space to keep them safe. They have been kept in a cell room'' another staff said.
There is no proper toilet facility for the female personnel in this police station. The roof of the police station building is waning day by day and the tiled roof has also developed leakage. As a result there is every risk of computer and other documents getting wet during monsoon.
Though the staff posted at the police station have been unsuccessfully trying to replace the falling tiles by contributing from their own pocket, the situation has turned grim in this rainy season. Water seepage from roof is a major problem as policemen have to move records and important material to safer places.
Kota Girish Kamath, a social worker from Kota regretted that the administration has failed to understand the significance of providing safe environment for those coming to seek justice at the police station. The Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation (KSPHC) was to take up the construction of a new building for Kota police station in 2015 at a cost of Rs 75 lakh. It was sanctioned from the office of Director General of Police in 2017.
Along with Kota police station, Circle police inspector's office in Byndoor was also sanctioned a new building, but nothing moved in this direction.
A senior police officer on condition of anonymity told Express that the government should provide proper infrastructure to the police as it is becoming difficult for the staffs to work in a dilapidated building.