A News18 reporter tried to get the Kerala Police’s reaction to her distress call. However, the Nedumangad police in Thiruvananthapuram replied to her call, saying there was no diesel in the jeeps, and thus, they could not attend to her.
Here is a transcript of the conversation.
Reporter: Sir, my name is Aishwarya. I am at the Karakulam bus stop, and a few drunk people here are creating a ruckus. Can a few policemen come here and take a look?
Police: Where in Karakulam?
Reporter: At the bus stop
Police: None of the vehicles have diesel. If we have to come there with our vehicles, we need diesel, right?
Reporter: Ok, sir.
This fuel crisis has been plaguing the state police since 2022. Earlier, the police department tried to seek extra payment for their diesel bills. This came to light after the Kerala police found themselves grappling with pending payments to fuel companies that hindered the refilling of police vehicles. The predicament unfolded after the government refused to allocate the necessary funds, leading to a suspension of fuel distribution at the Peroorkada pump.
Compounding the issue, police officers had been directed in March 2022, as reported by Mathrubhumi, to borrow fuel from the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), highlighting the severity of the financial strain on the police department.
Kochi ranked third in the country for crime rates as per official records in 2022, faces an alarming situation with its law enforcement. Despite the high crime rate, the police department attributes its lack of action to a critical issue – insufficient funds to settle fuel bills.
As mentioned in the Kochi City Police website, 12 vehicles from the Police Control Room, designated for 24/7 city patrols, languish idle due to the financial impasse. Reports suggest that the police department owes substantial sums to petrol bunks and workshops, with outstanding amounts accumulating over an extended period.
The Kochi City Police Control Room boasts 24 vehicles, yet only half are said to be operational. The remaining vehicles await refuelling and maintenance, with no concrete steps to address the situation.
While the government has been accused of allocating significant sums for luxury vehicles for ministers and corporation heads, the essential needs of the police force still need to be met. A single police vehicle requires an average of 200 litres of diesel per month, totalling around Rs 20,000 per vehicle and a staggering Rs 5 lakh monthly for the Police Control Room.
In Kochi, police personnel at the Control Room have relied on three petrol bunks on MG Road for fuel, yet even these outlets refused supply due to overdue bills.
Workshops have faced a similar fate, with necessary maintenance halted amid unpaid bills. Surprisingly, the department has yet to take substantial measures to address this pressing issue. Police personnel allegedly received instructions last year to conceal the dire condition of the force.
In November 2022, a model was gang-raped in a moving car; this further underscores the apparent lack of police presence in the city.
The fuel shortage even impacted patrolling during President Draupadi Murmu’s visit in March 2023. Several vehicles in police stations are reportedly non-functional, creating a stark contrast as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan ceremoniously flagged off 315 newly purchased vehicles for the police force. The vehicles are slated for deployment in police stations, control rooms, and special units, emphasising the stark disparity between resource allocation and the urgent needs of the police department.
