A long-felt demand of policemen in the city to have a police canteen – a shop where household goods will be available at subsidised price – was realised on Monday. Home Minister K.J. George inaugurated it at Pandeshwar.
A separate police canteen was opened for the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) personnel at Asaigoli near Mangalore University this August.
Mangalore Police Commissioner R. Hithendra said the police canteen at Pandeshwar will sell products from as many as 43 companies. All these products are sourced from the Central Reserve Police Force unit in Yelahanka. As Central Excise has been waived off, these products will be cheaper by about 50 per cent. The price of the products here would come further down if the State government accepted a proposal to exempt Value Added Tax for the products, he said.
Policemen working in the Mangalore Police Commissionerate, District Police, Lokayukta Police, Intelligence Wing, Mangalore Electricity Supply Company (Mescom) vigilance cell and other police units in the city could purchase products from the canteen, Mr. Hithendra said.
Mr. George also inaugurated the Police Community Hall, which had been built two years ago with a funding of Rs. 45 lakh from the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) under its corporate social responsibility scheme.
The revenue generated from the community hall will be used for police benevolent fund.
Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police Sharanappa S.D. said they had asked MRPL for additional funds to build an extra floor for the hall and also for furniture.
Staff shortageIn Udupi, Mr. George said there was a shortage of 22,000 police personnel in the State. This was because no appointments had been done in the department in the last five years. The government had decided to appoint 8,500 police personnel, he said.
Since the State has training facilities for only 4,500 police personnel, the remaining 4,000 police personnel would be trained in temporary training centres, he said.
In addition, the government had also appointed 7,000 Home Guards — who could assist the police — and increased their allowance, the Minister said.
The government had given its nod to build 11,500 staff quarters in the State. It would also provide 400 new vehicles for police stations. A new fire tender for a fire station in Malpe and a new vehicle for the Malpe police station would also be provided, he said.
On the alleged abduction, sexual assault and subsequent death of a 14-year-old girl at Tirthahalli in Shivamogga district on October 31, Mr. George said the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the State police was investigating the matter.
