Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Corpn. requests Govt. for police unit

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM MAY 21. The City Corporation Council today urged the Government to provide a police unit on deputation basis to the local body to tackle illegal activities and carry out its functions. The Opposition UDF resisted the proposal, terming it as an attempt to create a police raj in the Corporation.

Moving the official resolution, the Mayor, J. Chandra, said Corporation officials were increasingly seeking police help to implement regulations under the Municipalities Act. She said the local body was often unable to check violations because the city police force was hard pressed to provide assistance.

"A police unit under the Corporation will help to resolve the problem," she said.

The UDF council party leader, K. Maheswaran Nair, said the proposal for a police force was ill-conceived and was an attempt to create a police raj in the Corporation.

He said there was no reason for a separate police unit under the Corporation when the city police could be called in for assistance.

Mr. Nair wanted to know whether there had been any specific lapse on the part of the police in providing assistance to the Corporation officials.

The Gowreesapattom member, M.P. Saju (CMP), said a police force under the Corporation would fail to instill fear in law-breakers.

He wondered how the Corporation could afford to maintain a police unit when it was facing a financial crisis.

The Works Standing Committee chairman, V.S.Padmakumar (CPI-M), said a police unit was necessary in view of the need to crack down on the large number of unauthorised constructions and evict encroachers from various parts of the city.

The Thampanoor ward councillor, Satheesh, asked the LDF to explain why it had not brought up this proposal during the term of the LDF Government.

Rounding off the debate, the Mayor said the proposal for a police unit attached to the Corporation was prompted by the need for assistance to tackle illegal activities like encroachments, unauthorised slaughter and illegal construction.

She said all the five Corporations in the state had requested the Government to provide a police unit on deputation basis.

The resolution was later adopted by 47 votes to 21. The BJP members in the council abstained from voting.

The council adopted another resolution urging the Government to install meters for streetlights in the city and to appoint adequate staff at KSEB section offices.

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