Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala affirms of 'complete transformation' in functioning of police stations
Thiruvananthapuram, May 23
Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday affirmed that the functioning of the police stations in the state will be improved with effective measures to provide a new look to the stations.
Speaking with the reporters after attending a high-level meeting of senior police officers in the state, the Minister said that the government will take steps to keep the stations clean, dispose of unused vehicles, etc.
"The meeting was attended by police officers from the rank of SP and above. Important matters were discussed. A complete transformation will be brought to the functioning of all police stations in Keralam. Steps will be initiated to keep all police stations clean. Action will be taken to dispose of vehicles that have been lying unused for years. All police stations will get a new look. There will be efficient changes in the functioning of police stations," he said.
The meeting was held at the Police Headquarters under the chairmanship of Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, marking his first such meeting after assuming charge of the Home portfolio.
The meeting reviewed law and order, internal security and administrative coordination within the police force.
Earlier on Wednesday, veteran leader Ramesh Chennithala was entrusted with the crucial Home portfolio along with Vigilance, Fire and Rescue Services, Prisons and Coir as the Keralam governemnt officially released the notification for the allocation of portfolios among its cabinet members.
According to the notification, Chief Minister V D Satheesan will oversee Finance, Kerala Financial Corporation, Ports, Law, Pollution Control, Airports, Metro Rail and Railways. In other key allocations, K Muraleedharan has been assigned the Health and Medical Education department, which also includes Ayush, Drugs Control and Devaswoms. Senior leader P K Kunhalikutty will handle Industries and Commerce, along with start-ups, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, mining and geology, handlooms and textiles.
Sunny Joseph has been given charge of Electricity, Environment, Parliamentary Affairs and ANERT, while A P Anilkumar will oversee Land Revenue, Survey and Land Records and Land Reforms.
The portfolio for Tourism and Culture, including the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC), has been allocated to P C Vishnunadh. M Liju will handle Co-operation and Excise, while Roji M John has been given charge of Collegiate Education, Technical Education, Universities (except specialised ones), the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and Additional Skill Acquisition Programme (ASAP).
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is great from a PR perspective – clean stations create a better image. But real transformation in Kerala police will come from modernising investigation procedures, reducing red tape, and ensuring quicker FIR registrations. Let's hope this is more than just a paint job.
As someone who regularly deals with police stations in Kochi, I can say the key issues are not just cleanliness but attitude and response time. It's good that the minister is starting somewhere, but we need continuous training for constables and better community liaison. One meeting won't fix decades of issues.
Impressive that the Home Minister is personally chairing meetings with senior officers right after assuming charge. The allocation of portfolios to K Muraleedharan for Health and P K Kunhalikutty for Industries shows a strong team. Let's see if this translates into visible improvements for citizens.
Cleaner stations and clearing unused vehicles are low-hanging fruits – anyone can do that. What about the lack of women-friendly spaces in stations? And the huge backlog of complaints? Real transformation requires systemic changes, not just cosmetic ones. Hope the minister proves me wrong.
Finally someone talking about the mess in police stations! Last time I went to file a complaint, the place was a dump with old papers everywhere. A clean environment actually makes citizens feel more confident. But please also address the long wait times and the way complaints are handled.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.