Thiruvananthapuram: Potbellied policemen may be a thing of the past, if Director General of Police Loknath Behera has his way. The top cop has not taken kindly to his officers dragging their own weight while chasing criminals and tackling agitators.
Behera has devised a fitness regime for the force in association with the Sports Authority of India’s Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education at Kariavattom in Thiruvananthapuram. The fitness plan is expected to be a modified version of the package designed by the Dallas-based Cooper Institute for the armed forces in the United States.
The boss has reasons to be concerned about his staff, if a health survey among the members of the force is any indication. The preliminary findings do not point to a healthy lifestyle among the cadres. Many of them suffer from illnesses. And many more are overweight. On the other hand, the force has its share of malnutritioned personnel. In short, a considerable chunk of the personnel are not fit for any demanding tasks.
The Director General of Police wants the force to undergo an image makeover. Battalion Additional Director General of Police Nidhin Agarwal, SAP commandant Abdul Razak and DCP Siva Vikram have been put in charge of the project. LNCPE principal Dr G Kishore will prepare the plan.