The writer at the Gudiyatham Taluk police station on the outskirts of Vellore was always careful to not move his desk near the walls of the dilapidated building, especially during monsoon, as leaky roof might drench his work for the day — entries into 127 records that need to be updated at the station every day.
Leaky roof, wet floor, broken cupboards, poor ventilation, cramped space in the station have not deterred the Gudiyatham Taluk police from bagging the prestigious Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Trophy for the Best Police Station for 2020.
The Gudiyatham station is among 40 police stations that bagged the award for 2020 and the only police station to win the award in Vellore district. “We are happy that one of our police stations bagged the coveted award. Such recognition will inspire other police stations to perform better,” said S. Rajesh Kannan, SP (Vellore).
Bifurcated into Taluk and Town police station half a century ago, the Gudiyatham Taluk station has been chosen for the award after it was assessed on 18 parameters including computerisation of files and cases, crime detection, arrests in POCSO cases.
Interestingly, the evaluation for the award, which was done in the rank of IGP, also includes negative marks if any official at the station had faced suspension or any other disciplinary action.
Among other things, cleanliness of the station and quick issuing of chargesheets were highlights that bagged the award for the station. Since first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the station officer earmarked specific timing for each complainant to address their grievances every day. Their grievances were addressed accordingly. Such measures had not only saved time and ensured safety but also resolved the issue faster.
