MANGALORE: The last 60 hours have proved to be quite taxing for police personnel working in the district. Most policemen were pressed into service following the outbreak of violence in various parts of the district on Thursday particularly personnel of the rank of inspectors and above have been working without a break for 22 hours. The policemen had a two-hour rest period in their daily routine.

According to Inspector-General of Police (Western Range) H.N. Sathyanarayana Rao, there are nearly 1,000 police personnel of the rank of constables and head constables and 135 personnel of the rank of assistant sub-inspectors of police and above who have been pressed into service for maintenance of law and order. Besides, there are three officers of the rank of superintendent of police including Superintendent of Police of Dakshina Kannada on duty.

A major challenge faced by the department was to provide food and accommodation to all policemen drafted on duty, Mr. Rao said. "We have identified police stations from where food packets are being supplied to policemen. In Mangalore, the Mangalore North (Bunder) police station is the nodal point from where all arrangements to supply food packets to the policemen on duty are being organised," he said.

Stating that even policemen posted in pickets spread across the city and adjoining areas are being provided with food packets, Mr. Rao said effort are being made to ensure that they reached the personnel on time. Riot control operations are very job and policemen are required to put in long hours without adequate rest.

"We do not want police personnel to work on empty stomachs in such a situation," Mr. Rao said.

Appreciating the arrangements made, a police constable posted at a picket said the department had made arrangements to ensure that police personnel had something to eat.

"With hotels and eateries closed owing to curfew the trouble that our senior officials have taken to provide us with food packets is laudable. We cannot seek help from the locals, who are too afraid to even come out of houses in such a situation," he added.

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