Chattanchal: Calls are growing louder to sanction additional personnel at the Melparamba police station, where officers are struggling to keep up with an escalating workload amid an acute staff shortage. The station’s jurisdiction spans a vast area covering 31 wards across the Chemmanad and Uduma grama panchayats, including major localities such as Kalanad, Perumbala, Thekkil, Chemmanad, and Bara. Despite this expansive beat, the station is staffed by just 31 personnel: two Sub-Inspectors (including the Station House Officer), an Assistant Sub-Inspector, three Women Civil Police Officers, five Senior Civil Police Officers, and 20 Civil Police Officers.

The station began functioning on February 19, 2017, out of a rented facility along the National Highway at Chattanchal. It was later shifted to a purpose-built multi-storey complex near the Village and Sub-Treasury offices in Chattanchal town, sharing the premises with the Bekal DySP office.

However, staff strength has failed to keep pace with the mounting caseload. Officers are left with little time for thorough investigations, an issue police welfare associations have repeatedly flagged while demanding the creation of more posts. The lack of reinforcements has forced the current staff to work round the clock, largely depriving them of mandatory rest and leave. The only brief respite comes on particularly demanding days, when temporary personnel are drafted in from the District Police Headquarters. Addressing the issue, District Police Chief P Nithin Raj stated that sanctioning new posts falls under the state government's purview, adding that the matter has already been brought to the attention of higher authorities.

Overburdened by diversified duties

The station’s responsibilities stretch far beyond routine law enforcement. Its limits encompass 32 educational institutions—ranging from lower primary to higher secondary schools across government, aided, and private sectors. Five of these host Student Police Cadet (SPC) units, requiring officers to routinely step away from the station to supervise drills and programs. Additionally, the station handles a steady influx of cyber complaints every day that require dedicated follow-up, alongside managing the outreach initiatives under the Janamaithri community policing scheme.

Traffic management and emergency response present another critical hurdle. Several vital arterial routes pass through the station's limits, including the National Highway stretch between Thekkil Bridge and Mailatti, the State Highway from Chemmanad’s Chandragiri Bridge to Uduma, and the interstate corridor linking Poyinachi to Thekkil Bridge—stretches notorious for frequent road accidents.

Furthermore, popular tourist getaways like the historic Chandragiri Fort and Chembarika Beach draw heavy crowds, requiring constant surveillance and police presence. To prevent policing from grinding to a halt, local residents and elected representatives have urged the government to intervene immediately, sanction additional posts, and recruit more personnel, especially women officers.