TIRUCHY: Questioning the delay in throwing open the new buildings meant to function as the Fort and Sessions Court police stations despite about five months having passed since the completion of their construction, police personnel of the two stations, pointing to the precarious state of the premises from which they currently function, urge the government to open them before the monsoon intensifies.
The Fort police station for several years now has been functioning out of a heritage building near the city Town Hall. Personnel attached to the law and order and crime branch divisions, the all-women police station and the Traffic North Investigation division have been carrying out duties out of the building. With the station along with the Sessions Court police station functioning at Bheema Nagar lacking adequate infrastructure and taking into account the dilapidated state of the buildings, the Tiruchy city police sent a recommendation to the government for construction of new buildings to house them.
Accordingly, the government allocated Rs 3.19 crore for the construction of a new building to house the Fort police station and Rs 2.70 crore for the Sessions Court police station. Following this, the Tamil Nadu Police Housing Corporation Limited selected a site at the Chintamani police quarters for the Fort police station and one at the Bheema Nagar police quarters for the Sessions Court police station. Work on their construction began in 2022 and the completed buildings were handed over to the Tiruchy city police in February 2024.
The new five-storeyed building for Fort police station and the four-storeyed building for Sessions Court station have been equipped with various facilities, including lifts and ramps. Their opening, however, has been delayed for months citing various reasons, including the enforcement of the model code of conduct (MCC) during the Lok Sabha election. Despite the MCC having been lifted over a month ago, the new buildings are yet to be thrown open, the police pointed out.
A police source said, "Fort police station is one of the oldest and most important stations in the city. The current condition of the building is bad. The cement is falling off in some places. Similarly, the Sessions Court police station is poorly maintained. Rainwater seeps into the station as a result of which we are unable to maintain records.” When enquired, a senior city police official told TNIE, "The state government will decide when to open the new buildings. They will, however, be opened soon."
