Kochi: Ending the several months-long wait, the Kochi Metro Rail Police Station, is going to become operational within a month. Though the renovation of the building in Kalamaserry was completed a few months ago, its inauguration got delayed after being caught in the red tape. “There are works pending to be done for an active police station, especially for a station that deals with the cases on Metro. We expect three weeks to finish the pending works and make the station operational, and the government will announce the inauguration date soon after that,” City Police Commissioner MP Dinesh told DC.
The Metro rail police will have 29 posts including one CI, three sub-inspectors, six ASIs, six head constables, ten constables, one part-time sweeper and a driver. It is also understood that 13 of the members will be women. Meanwhile, it is learnt that so far only two cases have been registered in Palarivattom police station in the one year service of Kochi metro. Both are trespassing cases and as of now, the local police are taking care of these cases. The government has made the decision to form this separate team by anticipating the chances of various offences that can come up in the future.
A police official from the Metro rail police said that they are currently doing a trial run in the police station without interfering in the Metro-related cases officially. Half of the staff have joined the team, and some are yet to join, he said. A Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) official told DC that the KMRL had provided the infrastructure for the police station seven months ago and has not heard anything about its opening so far.
