Basudevpur: Marine police stations had been set up in Bhadrak and Balasore districts with an aim of checking terrorist intrusion through sea routes and curbing criminal activities along the coast. However, the Kasia marine police station in this block of Bhadrak district still is plagued by lack of infrastructure.
With no building of its own, the police station has been running from a Red Cross Centre for the last four years while police personnel face a lot of problems in their day-to-day activities.
According to a report, as the Red Cross building accommodates the marine police station, people fail to make use of it during natural disasters like floods and cyclones.
It is alleged no step is being taken by the administration to develop infrastructure for the police station.
The revenue department had initially identified a patch of land and demarcated it for the purpose, but later the site was cancelled. The department then started searching for a new site, but the process has got stuck due to administrative apathy, sources said.
It was learnt that revenue department authorities have failed to hasten the process of selecting a suitable site for the police station.
The Red Cross Centre has no facility for lock-up. Police personnel have to face problems when they are unable to keep accused persons in custody at the Red Cross Centre. After making arrests, the police personnel bring the accused to Basudevpur police station.
Besides, the Parapokhari-Sunamuhin road leading to Kasia police station is in a bad shape. Commuting on the road becomes a difficult proposition as it is replete with mud and slush.
People in five panchayats face a lot of problems while coming to police station.
Locals said if the police station is vacated from the Red Cross Centre, flood-hit people may find the building useful for shelter.
A permanent building for the marine police station will be beneficial to the people as it would help in better policing, observed IIC Prafulla Mallick. PNN
