MLA urges home minister to sanction funds for Kankanady Town PS building

MANGALURU: Mangaluru City South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath on Wednesday urged the home minister Basavaraj Bommai to sanction funds to complete the stalled construction work on the Kankanady Town police station. Home department has sanctioned Rs 10 lakh for construction of the new police station and Dakshina Kannada Nirmithi Kendra has been entrusted the task of constructing this two-storey structure, the MLA told the minister.
The new police station is being constructed close to the police quarters of erstwhile Mangaluru rural police station at Bikarnakatte on the Bikarnakatte-Padil junction bypass road. This was a project that then city police chief S Murugan had initiated, the MLA said, adding the work subsequently got delayed due to lack of funds. “There is an urgent need of at least Rs 25 lakh to complete the building,” Kamath said, urging Bommai to release the same.
Kankanady Town PS is presently functioning from a rented building at Padil and the building that is quite old, leaks during the monsoon. This is making the task of police to protect their records all the more difficult, he said, adding the lack of space makes it difficult for both the police personnel working there and people who go there for their work, to park their vehicles without inconveniencing the others residing in the area, the MLA said.
City police chief Vikash Kumar Vikash exuded confidence that the home department as a special case might sanction funds for the Kankanady town police station building following the plea by the MLA. “We know and can understand the priority of the government during the current pandemic is the health of the general population,” Vikash told TOI, adding that as the situation improves, efforts will be made to house all police stations in their own buildings.