The Congress-led UDF Opposition walked out of the Kerala Assembly on Monday in protest against the government’s refusal to discuss the alarming high rate of suicide among policemen and address the acute staff shortage in the police force that has created physical and mental stress among policemen.

Congress MLA PC Vishnunath moved a notice for an adjournment debate on the alarming high rate of suicide among policemen. He said 88 policemen had committed suicide in the last five years due to the huge workload and stress on them. “The government’s reluctance to recruit adequate police personnel and thereby imposing huge workload on policemen is a state-sponsored atrocity and also a human rights violation,” Vishnunath said.

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He further said overwork, extraneous political influence, including in postings and transfers, harsh workplace conditions and toxic office atmosphere were some causes of the malaise.

Vishnunath said around 118 policemen were needed on an average for a police station to function effectively. However, in many police stations, only 44 policemen on an average are handling the workload of 118 policemen, he added.

He rebuked the government for prescribing yoga as a panacea for all the ills that plagued the police force.

“Most officers staffing police stations put in more than 14 hours daily. Instead of increasing their numbers and limiting duty time to eight hours and giving scope for officers to meet their social and familial commitments, the government has cynically prescribed yoga for officers who work their fingers to the bone daily”, Vishnunath said.

Replying to the notice for adjournment motion, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the government is taking various steps to reduce the workload. He listed many initiatives the government has launched to reduce the workload and stress of policemen.

“The LDF government has created 5,670 new posts in the police force till March 31 this year. The government is taking steps to increase the staff strength and utilise technology to reduce the workload in the police force,” the CM said.

Stating that the work-related stress of policemen cannot be totally avoided, the chief minister said yet,the government will take all steps possible to reduce it. The government has directed the (Home) department to address the circumstances leading to suicide among policemen, the Chief Minister added.

Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan accused the Chief Minister of trying to trivialise a serious issue. Satheesan said that the mental stress of the policeman is even affecting law and order. He alleged that district police chiefs are influenced by CPI-M district secretaries and that Station House Officers (SHOs) are managed by the Area Committee, suggesting that the party exerts control over the state police.

In protest against the denial of permission for the adjournment motion to discuss the serious issue being faced by policemen, the Opposition walked out of the Assembly.