The recent suicide by Deputy Superintendents of Police, M.K. Ganapathy and Kallappa Handibag, which led to a uproar with the Opposition targeting the State government, echoed during the inauguration of the police quarters here on Saturday.
Both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G. Parameshwara urged the police personnel not to end their lives as suicide was not a solution. The duo asked the police personnel to discuss their problems, if any, with their superiors or with the government.
“The suicide of Mr. Ganapathy and Mr. Handibag was unfortunate. Suicide is not a remedy. Life is precious … think about your family before you get any thoughts of ending your lives,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.
Mr. Siddaramaiah also hit out at the Opposition for using the incidents for their political gains.
Claiming that suicide by police personnel was happening since many years, the Chief Minister said 122 police personnel had committed suicide between 2003 and 2014 and the highest was in 2006-07 with 24 suicides.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said the government was committed in providing more facilities to the police force.
“A committee headed by senior IPS Officer Raghavendra Auradkar has been constituted and the government will act in sincerity to address their problems and demands once the committee submits its report,” Mr. Siddarmaiah said.
In his address, Mr. Parameshwara admitted that there was pressure on the police force as such situations arise being a disciplined force. “But suicide is not the solution to problems. Discuss with your higher officers or talk to us … suicide is no answer to pressure,” he added. While urging the police personnel not to lose their self belief, the Home Minister said he and DGP Omprakash are considering arranging yoga and meditation classes and counselling sessions for the police force.
He said Police Gruha 2020, the project of building 11,000 houses for the police staff, will be completed soon. A sum of Rs. 1,818 crore had been sanctioned for the purpose, he said.
Earlier, Mr. Siddaramaiah inaugurated 276 housing quarters for constables and sub-inspectors built at a cost of Rs. 41.95 crore at Jyothinagar here. A total of 252 housing units for constables and 24 units for Sis, besides a guest house for officers of the SI rank and dormitory and recreation room for the personnel of CAR personnel were inaugurated.
Each flat for constables cost Rs. 16.01 lakh while that for SIs cost Rs. 18.42 lakh with facilities of modular kitchen and bedrooms with attached bathroom.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister handed over two body-worn cameras to police officers and Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Tanveer Sait handed over held devices. Minister in-charge of Mysuru district H.C. Mahadevappa launched 40 CCTV cameras installed at various locations in the city under M-TRAC.
Mayor B.L. Bhyrappa, M.K. Somashekar, MLA, DGP Omprakash, ADGP T. Sunil Kumar, Police Commissioner B. Dayanand, IGP B.K. Singh, SP Abhinav Khare and others were present.
