E-bills, cyber hall for police department

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced them along with a slew of measures for the police department on Saturday after a two-day debate on the demands for the grants of the department. 

While stating that CCTVs would be installed at 100 police stations at an estimated Rs 2.50 crore, the Chief Minister said seven mobile toilets would be provided for the police personnel at a cost of Rs 86.45 crore. Another Rs 5 crore was earmarked for providing 10,000 polycarbonate helmets, lathis and shields, he added. 

The Chief Minister also announced a hike in the monetary benefits of police award winners. The monthly grant of CM police medal awardees was trebled to Rs 900 a month. The one-time grants for honourable services for DSPs would be increased to Rs 15,000, for inspectors to Rs 10,000 and for head constables to Rs 5,000. 

Palaniswami said new police stations would come up in Coimbatore, Namakkal, Salem and Dharmapuri districts. He also announced allotment of Rs 11.37 crore for 11 new police station buildings, Rs 4.75 crore for seven DSP’s offices and Rs 9.28 crore for a new police barracks at Krishnagiri. 

Another Rs 7.60 crore was sanctioned for new buildings for the Q branch in five districts and the Coimbatore crime branch. He further said that a forensic science lab would be built at Jagir Ammapalayam in Salem district at a cost of Rs 3.68 crore and granted Rs 3.79 crore for various facilities in the section. 

The Chief Minister announced a contingency medical fund for the Fire and Rescue services personnel with an annual government grant of Rs 50 lakh. He doubled the risk allowance for assistant and district fire service officers to Rs 800 and Rs 900 respectively. The CM said that a fire station would be set up at the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court at a cost of Rs 99 lakh, apart from new stations in five more districts at an estimated cost of Rs 5.29 crore. Another Rs 15.39 crore was earmarked for construction of quarters for officers and staff at Saidapet, Erode, The Niligiris, Tirupur and Tiruchy districts, he added.