Police community hall yet to be put to use

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Sep 10, 2014: Two years after the construction of a community hall for the police force, the building stands mute witness to red-tapism: it has not been thrown open for use for want of permission from the government.

The building, constructed at a cost of Rs. 46 lakh and located next to the office of Inspector-General of Police (Western Range), had been built out of funds provided by the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemical Limited (MRPL) as a part of the latter’s corporate social responsibility programme.

Consisting of a big hall with elevated stage on one side, the venue has been specifically constructed to meet the need of police personnel to hold social gatherings such as weddings or marriage engagements.

According to an official in the office of the Superintendent of Police, building of the community hall was proposed when Subramaneshwara Rao, who is presently with the Central Bureau of Investigation, was the Superintendent of Police.

An agreement was entered between the Dakshina Kannada police and the MRPL for naming it as “MRPL Police Community Hall”.

The construction started in 2010 and ended in 2012. The building was not put to use as the State government had not approved use of the proceeds from the hall for the Police Benevolent fund.

The file sent to Bangalore is said to be making little progress.

Steps initiated

“We have now initiated steps to get approval of the government. We are expecting orders in the next few days,” an official said. A positive response is expected sooner than later, the sources maintained.

“Presently we use the small hall in Police Lane (a locality near Hampankatta where police quarters are located) for our family functions. There is no other hall for police,” said a police constable working in the city. “We hope to get this hall at subsidised rate for us,” the constable said.

Another constable said it would be difficult for them to hold social functions at the venue as it was too close to the office of the Superintendent of Police and the Inspector General of Police (Western Range).

 

Courtesy: The Hindu